Betrayal 3: Destiny's Darkness
by xFadingMoonx
Summary: The last part of the 'Betrayal' series. Things are getting darker as Sakura's fate begins to throw her into her foretold epic journey. With Naruto and her friends at her side, she'll be fine - right? Destiny has a dark side - what path can she choose?
1. Began with a Farewell

**Hey guys! Well this is it - the last part of the 'Betrayal' series and I admit I'm a bit sad as i've been working with this series for nearly two years now - and it's really grown on me! Ah well - gotta get it done sometime. (: Anyway, this fic is gonna be probably more darker and longer than the prequels.**

**At least ten reviews before I update again, please! I need to know you guys are still with me - my morale is wavering! :O**

"... Blah ... " - Speech

_" ... Blah ... " - Thoughts and flashbacks_

**" ... Blah ..." - Kyuubi and Haekeri**

* * *

**Betrayal 3: Destiny's Darkness**

**Chapter One: Began With A Farewell**

_Written by xFadingMoonx_

**-&-**

Rain. Sheets of rain.

The bleak grey sky above contained huge droplets that thundered down hard onto the cold pavement of the quiet streets and hammered the tiled roofs of the silent houses. Puddles steadily grew bigger in size until a mini-flood looked as if it might form and threaten to drown anything it would come across. Still it wouldn't matter – the rain exactly matched the dire mood of the atmosphere like an old, dead goose.

Somewhere, deep in the faces of the previous rulers, the mountain had a fairly large chamber. In this particular chamber, gathered the huddling figures of the villagers. Their faces hid beneath the sea of black clothing and hushed tones. Almost everything had been drained of colour. Except for the mass of roses bundled clumsily up at the top of the room. As a figure in a cloak who was stood by the flowers, lowered his hands, the entire assembly gratefully lowered themselves into seats and again, diverted their attention to the front.

Sakura grimaced slightly as she rubbed her legs, still a little sore from her last major battle with Ashi not too long ago. To the left of her, was Naruto. His face solem and full of pain, she gently ran her fingers over his clenched fist and leaned her head on his tense shoulder.

"He's at peace now." She whispered, nuzzling into his neck. Naruto himself didn't say anything, but he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. Sasuke, who was on the other side of Sakura, leaned in and muttered something about 'stop talking'. Sakura had to stop herself from shrieking herself silly at him. But remembering where they were, she crossed her arms and scowled. Sending him a major death glare, she whispered. "I'll kick him later." A small smile tugged at the side of Naruto's lips, it didn't last too long however as he remembered the dark atmosphere and concentrated on not crying. He'd bite his lip all day if he needed to!

On the other side of Sasuke was Ashi was an incredibly bored expression on his face and swinging his legs carelessly under his chair. Sakura didn't know too much about teenagers and if they even had the decency to show a little respect or whatever .. She leaned across a stunned Sasuke and gently whacked the boy on the knee.

"Stop!" She hissed.

"Why?" He challenged.

"It's so disrespectful!" She could see the people around her glower at her as she struggled to keep her voice down. "This is a _funeral _not a damn school lecture, as you may think so, Ashi Uchiha - and there you are, acting as if nothing bothers you!"

"Then it's my loss isn't it?" Ashi shrugged. "I can respect the dead in my own little way without gathering in one place with hundreds of heated bodies pressing in on all sides and suffocating you. At least I'm here."

"Look you-.."

"I don't like to dwell on the past, that's all. Otherwise I'd still be sad over the loss of my mother." He pasted a lonely look on his face and she was cornered at a dead end. 'Dead end' - what an odd choice of words that so ironically suited the situation. She knew she had a point but yet she leaned over Sasuke's lap and whispered; "But, was my teacher." And resumed her seat.

"Look," Sasuke said quietly. "If you want to have a go at him - wait until _after _the ceremony. But for now, this is our time to say goodbye to Kakashi."


	2. Here and Now

**Hey guys - the reason why I haven't updated this fic for about three months, was because I was going to take some time out and focus on my other fics and some cool ideas I have. However, I though 'naaaah' and decided to ditch that plan and continue with this series. I've been writing it for about two years now - and if I don't continue, then I'll never finish. Because with each chapter, I get further to my goal.**

**By the way, I'm very sorry this chapter isn't very long, but I felt that it really didn't need to be - taking into account the situation and stuff ect.**

**Please review (:**

"... Blah ... " - Speech

_" ... Blah ... " - Thoughts and flashbacks_

**" ... Blah ..." - Kyuubi and Haekeri**

* * *

**Betrayal 3: Destiny's Darkness**

**Chapter Two: Here and Now**

**-&-**

_Four years later._

"Thank you very much." Sakura Haruno shot a smile in the direction of the customer who had just left the store, clutching the huge bouquet of lilies. The girl's smile switched immediately to a frown as she tried to busy herself with re-arranging the already perfect vase of tulips on the counter in Ino's flower shop. She was feeling very restless that very morning. Even after she had woken up and pulled open her curtains to the grey rain - she felt uneasy.. edgy.

The twenty-two year old sighed heavily and rested her chin upon the polished surface of the till. She blatantly ignored the 'refill paper' flashing on the mini screen and let her mind wander aimlessly elsewhere.

Dammit - why did she have to do that? Was it not only two days ago when Tsunade had given an hour _sermon_ on 'how-not-to-daydream-during-surgery-you-stupid-girl!'?

"_'Lives are at risk here!'"_ Sakura mocked quietly. "Well no shit. And here I was, under the impression that I was operating on _vegetables_."

She sighed once more and lazily flicked open her mobile phone, fresh from her shorts' pocket. No messages, no missed calls, no nothing. Well it was only two minutes ago that she last checked anyway. Honestly - if she didn't want this job in Ino's shop, then why did she agree to do it anyway? It made every Thursday and Friday go nail-bitingly slow.

Well at least she _had _a job, Naruto hadn't bothered and relied solely on the money received from petty missions. They together had conquered some major ones too, but since Kakashi died, team 7 had kind of... Well _evaporated._ So Sakura had no momentum any more to continue becoming a ninja and settled for part citizen, part medical worker.

The days now seemed longer and passed by with a huge effort. She could honestly feel herself falling painfully into complete zombie-mode. Soon enough, she'd be questioning her existence on this earth and would prefer being better off like Kakashi or Kimoko.

_Kimoko_.

Sakura still didn't like to mention that name, even after four years it still brought back painful memories from when her friend had died. It seemed to Sakura as if everyone else had moved on though. Naruto, Sasuke, Shu .. Even Ashi - Kimoko's son! Even in Konoha, major changes were occurring all around the town. For one thing, Ino had gotten herself hugely pregnant by dear old and confused Shikamaru, while Tenten, Hinata and Temari had landed themselves great career opportunities and marriages - not to mention that Neji and Kiba were running their own ANBU squads now.

Everyone had moved on. Except Sakura.

.. Or that's how it felt anyway.

_And what about that stupid prophecy?_

She was alerted out of her sub-conscious by a sudden vibrating, she reached down and whipped out her phone again, scanning the screen with squinted eyes.

"_Sakura_" the text message read. "_I need to talk to you and Naruto later on. It's pretty important. Come round about 6. Sasuke._"

She thrust it back into her jeans. "Not even a 'how are you?'" She grumbled.

Due to the time on her pink watch, it was nearing three, so Sakura could close up right now and head home for a nice shower and some dinner.. Oh who was she kidding? Naruto would be on the sofa with a glass of sake and kicking off his slippers so the whole house stank of socks.

She supposed he changed too.

Sakura hastily got up from the little stool behind the counter and grabbed her bag which was concealed behind her. She changed the window sign to 'closed' and quickly locked up and deposited them through Ino's letterbox next door. She clacked down the empty cobbled street in her sandals and embraced the near silence.


	3. Decisions and Favours

**Hey there! My files absolutely FAILED by I've managed to recover them on my Uncle's laptop. Anyways, sorry if this chapter seems a little shorter but Im afraid that I dont know when I'll get to update again in the past week, so I'm gonna leave you guys with what's here for now (:**

**Please enjoy and don't forget to review - please?**

"... Blah ... " - Speech

_" ... Blah ... " - Thoughts and flashbacks_

**" ... Blah ..." - Kyuubi and Haekeri**

* * *

**Betrayal 3: Destiny's Darkness**

**Chapter Three: Decisions and Favours**

**-&-**

The air was lukewarm and swept bitterly through the empty streets. The cobbled stones of the path creaked with every step and sent a involuntary shiver down Sakura's spine. Naruto noticed this and gently took her hand in his, stroking it comfortingly - he didn't want to speak aloud and hear his voice in the dry air. The couple were walking down the streets of the old Uchiha compound, where Sasuke had decided to relocate to not long ago and take Ashi with him. Sakura guessed that Sasuke wanted his nephew to know more about his 'missing' family.

To her surprise, as soon as she returned home after her shift at the shop, Naruto was already dressed and had even ordered dinner from the nearest takeaway. Sakura decided not to question his sudden enthusiastic behaviour and welcomed the almost-old Naruto back. Thinking this, she smiled and wrapped her free arm around his and took in the sweet scent of him. Cinnamon and Ramen. Nice.

After the streets and whittled down into small alleys and footpaths, they arrived at what seemed to be one of the biggest houses in the whole compound. On the weathered door, was a metal plate bearing the Uchiha police symbol. It gave them both the creeps and Naruto forcefully reached out and banged the wood.

It took a few moments and creaks inside the house, before the door opened to reveal the messed-up-haired-and-barefoot Sasuke. He didn't bother to greet them but merely nodded at their arrival.

"Hello Sasuke," Naruto said flatly. "What a lovely home you have. Full of cheer."

Sakura's temple throbbed at the sarcastic tone and gently nudged him hard in the ribs. She turned to the Uchiha and smiled. "Yes." Was all she said.

"Well I suppose you better come in then," Sasuke stood aside to let them through. As soon as Naruto tried to enter, Sasuke slammed the door in his face and smirked at the blonde's angry cries of; "What the fu-.."

"Hey Sakura."

She turned on her heel to see a familiar figure leaned up against the doorway of the kitchen. Ashi Uchiha was now much taller than herself and certainly looking the part of a nineteen year old. His hair was hopelessly like Sasuke's and flopped lazily down to his broadened shoulders. His facial features had hardened considerably and she could see a hint of wisdom in his grey-ish gaze. He really looked a _million _years better than the scared and confused little boy she saved four years earlier.

"Ashi! How are you - I haven't seen you in a while! Gosh - you've really grown!" She enveloped him in a hug to which he returned with a beautiful smile.

"I'm fine - Uncle Sasuke's been faffing around me like a mother hen though about my 'career' - and you look very good too!" He glanced away. "Hurry up and let Naruto in, uncle. I wanna challenge him to a ninjutsu fight."

Sasuke reluctantly moved away from the front door and watched in amusement at the blonde burst through and started to curse Sasuke with every bad word he knew. Sakura coughed lightly and he looked up long enough to greet Ashi.

"Yo, kid."

"Well," Ashi smirked, a classic Sasuke smirk. "I'll be taller than you soon so you won't be able to call me that anymore."

"Oh really?" Naruto sneered. "I wouldn't care if you were _fifty feet_ tall - you will always be 'kid'."

They laughed good naturedly and playfully punched each other until Sasuke coughed loudly.

"So now we're all here, let's go somewhere more comfortable." And he led the way through endless hallways and many doors.

His house wasn't too spectacular as it was from outside. They were framed pictures of dark-haired children and adults everywhere to Sakura assumed this house may have been his, when he was a child and living with the rest of the Uchiha. She half expected ghosts of the past to wander around with their dark figures and swoop down on them at any second. Naruto was unaware and was in deep conversation with Ashi. Was Ashi really okay with living in a house full of Sasuke's dark memories?

The living room was disappointingly normal too. There were faded pillows and cushions seated around a small coffee table, folded up futons in the corner and imprints on the velvet walls, of when pictures used to hang there.

They took a seat at the table and fell gloomily silent. Sasuke cleared his throat before speaking.

"I'm not good at these conversations so I'll just get it out in the open."

Sakura inwardly rolled her eyes - what a classic Sasuke-speech.

He took a deep breath. "I'm going to find my brother."

His words still hung in the air about twenty seconds after he closed his mouth. The silence was overbearing and totally full of tension. Somewhere, in the room there must have been a clock or something, as Sakura could hear it loudly above the nothingness. Either it was that or the drumming of her own heart. Her mouth now suddenly felt fuzzy and the cold wash of dread washed over her.

"You don't even know where he is." She said in a mouse-like voice.

"No I don't. That's why I'm going to try and track him down."

She didn't understand it; Sasuke's words seemed too silly and stupid to take seriously. She glanced sideways at Ashi who was watching them silently. It looked as if his uncle had already clued him in beforehand. And now he was watching their reactions like a bad TV show.

She looked the other way to see Naruto with a mask of horror/surprise on his face. At least she wasn't alone now.

"Is this because of Kimoko?" Naruto managed to say after a few minutes. His jaw was hardened. "Do you want revenge for what Itachi did to her?"

"No," Sasuke said simply and glanced at his nephew. "That's only half the reason really. I want to get revenge on Kimoko and my clan - did you expect me to forget about that?"

"You _idiot_. He'll kill you!"

"He won't. I'll make sure of that." Sasuke's eyes turned darker - if that was even possible. Sakura could see his clenched fists shaking slightly at even the thought of his brother.

"Well - do you have to go alone? We'll go with you!"

"That's not possible," It was Ashi speaking now. "Sakura, you definitely cannot go - and I think you know exactly why. And I don't think Naruto would leave you here alone and go off with Sasuke."

Sakura felt herself blush at his words. She'd been thinking about her future and her 'destiny' and whatever, the past couple of years. Now Ashi had made it perfectly clear that whatever she had to do - was definitely going to happen soon.

_What's going to happen, I wonder?_

"So that's it? We can't do anything then?" Naruto said quietly.

Ashi shrugged. "Well you can, Naruto. Sakura can't, but you can. You have the option of going with him."

Naruto challenged his gaze for a few moments and looked away guiltily. "I can't," he muttered. "I have to stay and protect my wife. That's what a marriage is about, right?"

"But I'm not weak Naruto!" Sakura retorted.

"It's not about that," his voice became irritated. "By 'protect', I don't just mean physically. You'll need me later."

_For the prophecy. I'll need him to keep me sane._

"I'll have to leave fairly soon," Sasuke continued. "Which means between now and that time, I'll have to take care of a few things and train whenever I can, so I might not be available sometimes."

"And I'm being kicked out." Ashi finished.

Sasuke growled. "You are _not _being kicked out. I simply said that you're going to have to stay somewhere else where people can keep an eye on you."

"I'm nineteen."

"And also not fully trusted by the hokage," Sasuke pointed out. "Regardless of your age, I doubt she'd be willing to let you live on your own yet. Not after the trouble you caused us years ago. Which brings me back to the point," he looked at his teammates. "Can you both let him live with you until I return?"

Naruto was sceptical. "And how long would that be Sasuke? Till they cart back your mangled carcass from some random forest?"

"_No. _Till I come back holding Itachi's head."

Sakura tsk'ed and patted Ashi on the shoulder. "And what does Ashi think of all this? Is he really okay with you _abandoning_ him to go and kill his own father?"

"Ahh, it's none of my business really. Plus I might get to stay with you Sakuuuuura!" He smiled and glomped her. She could see Naruto watching them warily.

"I suppose he can." Naruto sighed. "Is he house trained?"

"Yes." Sasuke smiled.

The foursome fell into a comfortable silence and listened to the wind chimes wail in the air through the open paper door. From what they could see, the garden was well cared for (no doubt Sasuke's secret work) and new flowers were even beginning to sprout from the mounds of earth. Leading past them was a stone slab path that wound all the way through the garden and ended at a pond. The water silently drifted and tiny bumps bobbed up on the surface now and again which meant there were fish swimming delicately inside it. It made them feel so calm and serene.

"I guess this is it," Sakura decided to break the silence. "This is officially the end of Team Seven."

Sasuke nodded. "Yes. It was never really the same after Kakashi died anyway."

"We've been through some pretty tough times though haven't we? I mean, our first major mission meant that we had to fight Zabuza and Haku - _and_ we nearly died from it!"

"And then all that stuff with the Akatsuki and Orochimaru happened-.. Hey Sasuke - I've always wanted to ask you this, but you remember when I was fighting Orochimaru - and you were in a snake's body? How did you do that?"

"Showbiz trick." Sasuke grunted and tapped his nose annoyingly.

"Think we'll ever see Tobi again?" Naruto murmured and stared off into the garden. "He's still alive from what Ashi said. We never got to thank him for helping us escape the ANBU and Akatsuki."

It wasn't really a question, just a mere thought that reverberated in their minds.

"Yeah." Sakura said finally. "I expect we'll see him one day."


	4. Team Seven?

**Yeowza. So after a couple of months, I'm finally able to update this fic again! Yaaaay. Thankfully, this is the only fic at the moment that I'm working on, so I'll be able to concentrate solely on it, which makes me a very happy girl indeed (:**

**I gotta say, I missed Naru x Saku.**

**Anyways, if you've just joined us - new reader, I suggest you go back and read **_Betrayal _**and **_Betrayal 2: Danger Rising _**or you won't get a great deal of what happens in this story xD Im thinking of doing some fanart of it for my DA account, Hrrrrrm..**

**Ahh I've set myself a little task to update every Sunday if possible, although there may not be one THIS Sunday, 'cause I've uploaded it now, understand? :D**

**Please review/fave/alert - thankesh :D**

"... Blah ... " - Speech

_" ... Blah ... " - Thoughts and flashbacks_

**" ... Blah ..." - Kyuubi and Haekeri**

* * *

**Betrayal 3: Destiny's Darkness**

**Chapter Four: Team..Seven?**

**-&-**

"Are you finding everything alright, Ashi?"

"Yeah, thanks." He sighed happily and dropped the cardboard box he was holding, down onto the floor. Sakura followed him into the small cream bedroom and dumped her box on the worn mattress.

"Good," she smiled. "I'm sorry the room isn't bigger though - I've been trying to get Naruto to extend it."

Ashi chuckled. "But he never gets round to it, right? Yeah that sounds like Naruto," the boy flipped the darkish hair playfully hanging around his eyes and he began to tear the boxes open and retrieve the items inside. "And don't worry - this room will be fine for me."

"You've had worse?"

"Definitely."

The woman gave a small smile and gingerly leaned against the doorframe as she watched him sort his stuff into small piles and pack them away into his new room. She admired the way his broad shoulders tensed when he put weight onto them, from the back, he looked exactly like Sasuke.

_And Itachi too_. She added mentally.

She remembered all too well when Team 7 were called on a mission to try and capture Ashi and prevent him from causing any more trouble back in his home village of the Rain. It turned out that when they'd arrived there, it wasn't Ashi that was causing trouble - but the Akatsuki, who were trying to obtain him for the special jutsu he had. After a long chase and many obstacles along the way - Ashi's mother and their new friend, Kimoko, had been killed by the father - Itachi. Sakura didn't know why. They could only guess for now.

"Are you worried about Sasuke?" She suddenly blurted out.

Ashi's brow rose. "I don't even understand it myself because I only know parts of the story," he sighed. "I was lying when I told you the other day that none of this was my business, it _bothers _me that my uncle is going to kill my father."

"So it should," she whispered. "I feel so bad for you."

He snorted. "I don't need pity, but thanks. Anyway, aren't I used to these kind of hardships by now?" He paused. "My clan is apparently dead, my mother died _and _my uncle is going after my criminal Dad."

"Stop - Ashi, you don't have to say all of this-.."

"No," he hissed. "My hardships are less then what you're going to experience. According to Tobi.. Stop worrying about me and concentrate on your destiny."

Sakura clenched her fists and her brows furrowed. "I'm not even sure what my destiny is. I still don't quiet believe it."

"Well, you'll know soon enough won't you? It seems like you haven't even thought about it that much since you came back from the mission with me four years ago."

She bit her lip. "I haven't," she confessed and flopped down onto the hard mattress. "I guess.. Well I don't know.. I've been sort of - numb."

"Numb?"

She nodded. "I've been slacking at work - even Tsunade has noticed, and I guess I've been avoiding my friends more than I should have. I hardly go out and socialize anymore. I don't know what's happened to me - what the heck have I become now?" Sakura grimaced and placed her head in her hand. "I don't _want _to particularly be like this, you know."

Ashi shrugged. "Yeah I can guess. So why are you acting like this anyway? I kinda figured something was wrong at Sasuke's house, you seemed.. _Off_."

"I did?"

"No offence, but you're a sucky actress."

She chuckled and tapped her chin thoughtfully. "In case you haven't noticed, thing aren't _exactly _the same as before. Team 7 kind of .. Died out and we hardly see our friends anymore - everyone is busy with their lives.. I can't even remember the last time I went out on a mission!"

"Then go out on one."

"It's not just that," Sakura fidgeted on the hard bed and bit her lip. "As I said everything - _everyone _has changed. Sasuke has become bent on revenge again, so much that I'm scared he'll lose himself, just as he did when Naruto and I were with the Akatsuki. And Naruto.. He's not the same."

"Does Naruto still dream of being hokage?"

"With everything that's happened, I think he's kind of losing hope." She could feel the flat toneless edge in her voice. She was being honest though - Naruto was less carefree and cheerful these days. A while ago, they used to be inseparable all of the time and stay up late in to the night talking about random pointless stuff. Now they argued every week and sex was completely off the table. She inwardly rolled her eyes at the thought. _As if _she could talk about _that _to Ashi. She didn't even know why she was telling him this stuff in the first place. But it was nice to have someone to talk to.

Ashi silently packed away his box quickly and tossed the cardboard to the side of the room. He leaned back onto his cabinet and closed his eyes thoughtfully. "You need to talk to Naruto about that," he muttered. "I can see he still loves you."

Sakura made up her mind and stood up in a swift motion, she quickly shot Ashi a smile and thanked him for his advice, and then she returned downstairs, wondering when on earth - she'd started listening to teenagers.

As expected, Naruto was lazily spread out on the sofa in the living room with Shu sleeping on his torso. Naruto's arm dangled onto the floor holding a book called '_When ninjas gained power_' Sakura gently eased the book away and dumped it on the table. She folded her legs next to the couch and poked his face until his eyes flapped open.

"Whaa?" He took a moment to survey her, before groaning and shutting his eyes again.

"Naruto," Sakura hissed. "Wake up."

"What's the point?" She couldn't tell if he was still asleep or not, his mouth sagged and his brow furrowed.

"Naruto, we need to talk." She said firmly and shooed the ferret away, who seemed to understand and scampered into the next room. Sakura sat herself down next to her husband and gazed at him with steely eyes. He must have sensed the tension, because in the next moment, he was fully awake and watching her.

"What's up with you?" She said, voice breaking slightly. "What the hell is wrong with you, Naruto?"

"Nothing."

She growled and pushed him downwards into the cushions, pinning him there. "Do. Not. Lie. To. Me - ever since Kakashi - yes, _Kakashi _died, you started to turn weird. I was SO happy yesterday at Sasuke's house because you were acting _normal _for once," she could feel the hysteria rise in her throat. "I love you more than _anything _Naruto, but if this keeps going on.." She trailed off. "I'm going to have to leave you."

It was as if she'd slapped him. Naruto's eyes widened and his expressionless face now held hurt and guilt. He slowly reached his arms around her neck and pulled her down beside him and pressed his body close against hers. She said nothing and kept her jaw hardened, now face to face with him. He took a moment to stroke the pink tendrils away from her eyes and then leaned in and crushed his lips against hers.

Something inside of Sakura exploded like a Chinese firework. She felt a surge of intense emotions rush through her body like an electric current and she openly welcomed the sensations that felt so darn good. She suddenly felt very alive - his lips were warm and inviting just the same as she remembered, and his arms were around her body - in her hair - on her back. She felt the her anger fizzle out.

He made a small sound of contentment and she ran her fingers through his blonde spikes, smirking as she felt a pleasurable shiver run down his spine. They were moving with each other continuously like the beat of a song. Their heats beat against their chests like metal drums in a parade.

Sakura felt his tongue innocently slid against her bottom lip innocently, asking for permission. She was only too happy to oblige and soon, their tongues were dancing in each others mouths and daintily sliding against each other. She was pressed to close to him that their shadows were completely merged in the early evening sunlight streaming through the window and glass doors. She felt him leave her lips for air, but he still ran them down the sides of her face and down her neck gently. She closed her eyes and inhaled the sweet spicy scent of the young man.

"I hope you didn't kiss me to shut me up," she mumbled as her cheeks grew pink. "I would have just accepted a simple apology you know.."

"And how fun would that be?" He met her eyes and smirked sexily. Sakura almost smiled back, but she caught herself just in time and lightly pounded his chest with a fist.

"I was being serious," she said quietly. "That must have been the first time we've kissed in a _while_.. I want to know the truth about what's happening with you, Naruto. I didn't marry you so you could be cold and lie to me-.."

Naruto growled. "I'm not lying about anything! Dammit Sakura, things are tough at the moment."

"You bet they are!" Sakura was hurt that he'd used that tone with her. "And guess who it's hard on most of all? _I'm _the one with this fucking prophecy hanging over me! Damn, I can't do this," she left the sofa and Naruto's warm arms to begin pacing around the room and fanning herself with her hands. "Plus Tsunade's getting up my ass about my medical work.."

Naruto sighed and watched her worriedly bite her lip and continue her list of never-ending worries. He slowly got up and wrapped his arms around her small frame. She tried to wriggle away but sighed and accepted him.

"How bad have I been?" He mumbled on her shoulder.

"Very," she whispered. "What's bothering you? Surely it couldn't be Kakashi's death - that was so many years ago!"

"It's not, although I do regret not being able to save him-.."

"Arggh, dammit Naruto - you can't _save _everyone!"

"I know," he said quietly. "But I do regret not being able to say goodbye Sakura. And don't lie that you don't dote on that too - I see it in your eyes," he placed a finger under her chin so she's look at him. "I'm scared to death, Sakura."

"Scared?" She repeated. Naruto was the bravest person she knew!

"I'm scared for you, idiot," he teased. "For what you'll see in the future. I'm also worried about Sasuke."

"You could have gone with him!"

"And left you?" He snorted. "When I was thirteen, I made a promise to myself that I would protect you forever, no matter what would happen - I'm still sticking to that promise nearly ten years on. Just accept it, you're stuck with me." And he grinned.

Sakura held back a small sob and tightened her grip around the man. She couldn't believe it - Naruto, _her _Naruto was being normal again. She was secretly still glad that he loved her. For one second in the past, she'd thought that he may have been bored with her or something.

"Why?" She croaked. "Why have you been so cold to me?"

He paused. "I don't really know," she could hear the pain laced in his words. "I've been an idiot to try and keep you away though. Maybe I thought that distancing myself would help you? I don't know.."

"_Help me?_ How would that work?"

He chuckled, she could feel the laughter ripple through his broad chest. "Again; I don't know. You're the smart one here, cherry blossom."

She laughed quietly and once again gazed into those mystical blue eyes of his. She reached up and extended her pale arms around his tanned neck, she leaned forward and teased his lips.

"Bedroom?" He whispered against her mouth.

"Yes." She snarled and let herself be swept up into his arms and carried upstairs.

She felt better now.


	5. Old Man Cairo

**Haii guys, as promised here's another installment, but I added an extra one in the week (: Im currently listening to the Fray and jammin' away :D Wow, music gives me so much inspiration - PLUS it's really sunny outside, so I may go outside and read Harry Potter in a moment. Anyway, I'm very glad you guys are hanging in with me here, things will pick up xD Plus, I'm just recovering from a really bad bout of writer's block (ick!) WB is the hell of the earth :(**

**Ooo I have choca mocha!**

**Ahh longer chappie (:**

**Please review/fave/alert - thankesh :D**

"... Blah ... " - Speech

_" ... Blah ... " - Thoughts and flashbacks_

**" ... Blah ..." - Kyuubi and Haekeri**

* * *

**Betrayal 3: Destiny's Darkness**

**Chapter Five: Old Man Cairo**

**-&-**

The sunlight was streaming through a gap in the silky velvet curtains and hitting Sakura's face. She groaned and squeezed her eyes tighter and rolled onto her side, immediately recognizing that it was Naruto's bare chest, which her cheek was now pressed up against.

She slowly opened her eyes and silently ran a hand down his muscled torso, looking as if it had been perfectly carved out of marble. It was beautiful. There were neither absolutely no stray hairs nor scars - despite the amount of fights and injuries that Naruto had suffered in the past!

Her eyes locked onto the necklace he had inherited from Tsunade and gazed at the small blue crystal reflecting the morning sunshine and spilling out numerous rainbow colours inside it. She recalled the day Naruto had returned home covered in bandages with the necklace clasped tightly in his fist, she remembered his excitement lighting up his face and his eyes sparkling with joy. Even Tsunade was cracking a smile back then.. So much had changed since then obviously, but Naruto was normal again and very sorry for acting so distant. Sakura made a mental note to thank Ashi later on.

On the bedside table, her phone suddenly gave a few vibrating jerks as it rattled about on the wood, Sakura leaned over and snatched it up before it could disturb Naruto.

"Hello?" She whispered as soon as it was placed to her ear.

"Ah, Sakura," Tsunade's voice was almost as quiet as hers. "Good, I reached you."

Sakura inwardly groaned. "Did I oversleep or something Lady Tsunade? Ahh, I'm so sorry - it's just I've had to deal with a lot lately-.."

"Sakura," the blonde interrupted. "It's alright; it's your day off anyway.. No, I was just calling to see if you were available to come to my office."

"Your office?" Sakura repeated. "What's wrong? Did something happen?" Her heart plummeted. The last time she was called into work on a day off, was when a group of Jounin were critically injured from a run in with the Akatsuki, the same group that Kakashi was with until he died on the mission. She clenched her fists until the knuckles turned white from the strain and quickly shot a look at the sleeping man next to her.

"No! No.. I just need you to come by my office, that's all," Tsunade paused. "You have a visitor."

Sakura's eyes widened. "A visitor?"

"Yes. Are you available to come and see him?"

_Him?_

"Uh.. S-sure.." Sakura gabbled. "I'll be right down, thanks for letting me know." She ended the call and replaced the phone back onto the little table. Who the heck was this 'visitor'? He surely wasn't from the village, or he would have visited the house to see her. She sighed and quickly slid her naked from out of the bed and skipped around the room, gathering together some clothes and heading to the bathroom to make herself look more decent.

She emerged ten minutes later and found herself walking into a familiar shape.

"Ow," Ashi rubbed his head. "Any reason you're trying to kill me this early?" His eyes were only half open and he was yawing tiredly, shifting from one leg to the other.

"Ah no," the girl smiled. "I was just going to head over to the Hokage building, I'm apparently needed there."

"Ok. Mind if I take a shower?"

"You're a guest; you can do what you want." Sakura said warmly and shifted out of the way so Ashi could enter the bathroom. He paused halfway through the door and turned to her, smirking slightly.

"I take it you made up with Naruto?" He said slyly.

"Yes," she said carefully. "He was very sorry.."

"I bet he was," Ashi muttered. "By the way, I hope you don't mind - but I made my own dinner last night. I didn't want to uh.. _Disturb _you both." And with that, he shot her another smile and locked himself inside. Sakura stomped downstairs, her cheeks flaring into life. Was having the ability to embarrass her another one of the abilities all Uchihas miraculously had?

Shu was on the kitchen counter, licking up a small pile of dry cereal that Ashi probably put out for him. When Sakura entered, the tan ferret made a small sound of happiness and continued eating his breakfast. Sakura smiled fondly and stroked his warm long body.

"I'm going out for a bit, Shu," she murmured and reached for an apple in the fruit bowl. "Do me a favor and bite Naruto, if he isn't awake by lunchtime, okay?"

Shu licked his lips and bared his teeth in what Sakura assumed was a smirk. She patted the ferret one more time, grabbed her keys and jacket and headed out of the house, door slamming behind her.

For February, it wasn't as cold as Sakura expected but she still wore her jacket out of habit anyway. She vaguely wondered about her visitor and then her mind wandered to the bakery across the street and her mouth suddenly watered. Sakura groaned and hurried onwards, taking hungry bites out of her apple and disposing it a few minutes later. She took a quick detour past the teahouse and the Kuriyoukan sweet shop and slipped through a few quiet alleys before emerging outside the movie theatre and only a few blocks away from the Hokage residence.

She glanced up and met a giant billboard on the roof of the theatre.

_"Icha Icha Mega Makeout Paradise: The Last Romantic Struggle! Now showing here in Konohagakure!"_

Sakura heart panged painfully and her speed increased. She imagined that Kakashi would have been the first person to go and see that movie, if he were still around..

Sakura stepped through the automated doors of the Hokage building and gave a quick wave to the receptionist, Ana, who was arguing with someone on the phone but still smiled and winked back at Sakura.

Sakura quickly ascended the stairs on the opposite side of the room. She suddenly remembered the time when she and Naruto had run down them, to try and escape the ANBU, when they were still classed as missing nin, and had evidently knocked out a couple of ANBU members in Tsunade's office.

She quickly found herself standing outside the Hokage's door and quickly gave it three sharp taps.

"Come in!" The woman called from inside.

Sakura entered and quickly shut the door behind her, she turned to find Tsunade sitting at her huge dark mahogany desk, her head was resting on her hands on it and she held an expressionless look.

"You needed to see me?"

"Well not _me_," Tsunade's eyes narrowed and she inclined a hand towards the back of the room. "Your guest would like to see you."

Sakura slowly turned towards where her master was looking to see a small man huddled in one of the cream chairs, next to a plant pot. When he met the girl's stare, the old man broke old into a huge smile as if he was seeing the sun for the first time. His grey orbs twinkled and reminded Sakura very much of Naruto when he smiled, too.

She let her eyes wander to his appearance. His hair was grey as well and he had a long silky beard, a velvet cord with two purple beads was tied halfway down it. His clothes were tan coloured and underneath, he had a dark purple obi belt underneath the brown robes and black sandals. His mouth was like an open gash and slipped sideways a little, the bags underneath his eyes showed that he'd had little sleep.

"Hi there," Sakura smiled and found her voice after she was done gaping at him. "I'm Sakura Haruno, and you are?"

At that moment, Tsunade heaved herself off her chair and bid them both goodbye and left the room to give them privacy. Sakura selected a seat next to the old man and tried to avoid staring at him.

"Ah," he said. His voice was low and filled with age. "Yes, I remember you miss Haruno - you look almost the same as you did all those years ago." And he smiled again.

Sakura was confused - had she met this man before? Back when she went out on missions, she tried very hard to remember those she'd met along the way and bore their faces in her mind. But this elderly man held no memory for her.

He must have seen her apparent confusion and thankfully wasn't bothered by it. "You may not remember me," he said politely. "That's alright, it _was _a very long time ago and I must say, you were stressed at the time. You may have blocked it out of your memory."

_Stressed?_

"Yes," he seemed to have read her mind. "It was a horrible situation after all. My name is Cario, by the way." And he eagerly shook her hands.

"Cario," she said. "I'm very sorry but I don't seem to remember you.." She racked her brain again.

He smiled. "From the cellar.. You were in that house, and the slave traders came and knocked you out, locking you in the cellar with me."

It was like a light bulb had suddenly turned on in her head.

"..ou ok?"

_The room finally stopped moving out of motion, Sakura was glad. That blackness that swallowed her whole was really making her want to throw up. Closing her eyes for a second against the sudden small light from a swinging light somewhere above, she tried to sit up, only to be pushed gently back down again by foreign hands. In fright, her eyes snapped open, ready to defend herself against the assailant. The figure quickly backed off, his hands up in a gesture of peace. Sakura squinted into the gloom, a grubby old man stared back, his bright dazzling blue eyes shining._

"_Do not worry," his gentle voice calmed her instantly. "I will not hurt you."_

_She made no response except for a soft groan. She held her head in her hands, desperately wishing that the sickness would seize and that she could work out where there hell she was in the first place. The man shuffled closer, feeling the strange girl tense up, he said,_

"_I'm only going to check the damage."_

_Not having the energy to argue, she released her hands and let the male inspect the big purple bruise on the size of her head. After a while, he sighed and helped prop Sakura up against the wall._

"_You were hit quite hard," he concluded. "You do not seem to have any internal damage – You are very lucky. A block of hard iron could have easily killed you. But I guess we had better make sure that your brain has not been damaged in anyway," he paused, waiting to see if Sakura had an answer. Still totally out of it, she made another noise in which he took for an 'ok'._

Sakura forced down the rising bile in her throat as she called the awful events of that day. She remembered very clearly the sickening swirling of her body and she slipped in and out of consciousness. She remembered being lured into a woman's house - and knocked out by her son. She of course, didn't blame the family for acting as they did - the slave traders practically ran that little town and scared the citizens witless. They were forced to capture people and trade them in for money and food. It was extremely pitiful really..

"Are you alright?"

Sakura was immediately awakened from her memory at the sound of Cairo's concern. He was frowning now, grey eyes clouded with worry and confusion.

She honestly felt pale and clammy - not at all expecting to dive into her past today. She pasted on a fake smile that looked more like a grimace, she nodded. "Yes.. It was just, a horrible day, that's all.. I guess I really _did _block it out of my memory."

"I don't blame you. A lovely young girl such as yourself should not have to experience something like that. You're a little older now though - I daresay you've already been through a lot?"

Sakura could only nod numbly as she casted her mind back to seeing Naruto nearly die, her fight with Orochimaru and her past with Kimoko and Ashi. "Yes," she hoarsely whispered. "I'm sorry if this sounds rude but.. Well.. _Why _are you here? I doubt you would have travelled all this way just to reminisce with me?"

"Clever girl," Cairo murmured. "And on some level, I think you already know," he regarded her carefully. "These are hard times indeed. The problem is, do you understand Sakura? About what is expected of you?"

_How.. Did he know? Well there's no point fighting this anymore.._

"Yes," she sighed and raked a hand through her limp hair. "I have theories.. Judging by what's been happening to me," she wrapped her arms protectively around herself. "There's... Something inside of me isn't there? I guess I've just been acting stupidly for all these years to my friends and pretending it doesn't affect me - but it's something that gives me power when I'm.. Really distressed or emotional.." she paused and stared pointedly at the old man. "And you've seen it happen haven't you? When we were both in that cellar - I somehow.. I don't know - _connected _with that power and tore the door open..."

"_You will never open doors if you pull like that," the man chortled. "Put some strength into it girl!"_

_Sakura stared back over her shoulder incredulously,_

"_What?"_

"_Go on," he urged. "Pull until your arms feel as if they'll drop off."_

_Bringing her gaze back to the black handle, she rolled her eyes and muttered a few words under her breath._

"_This village is insane."_

_Holding onto it with both hands now, she gave a sharp tug. Nothing._

"_Keep pulling Sakura."_

_Gritting her teeth partly out of annoyance, she forced some chakra to flow to her hands, careful as not to waste what she had left. 'I'll show him.' She thought, preparing again to tear the door off its rotten hinges. She closed her eyes and concentrated fully on the small blue tendrils engulfing her fists. The wisps of chakra made their way from her skin and climbed up the dark wooden frame and slid across the bolts until they finally settled on the clasps of the door. Sakura's knuckles creaked a little as her chakra started to become more aggressive and try to eat away at the wood. That was her original plan until she realised that she didn't have enough chakra to go through with it. So now she would just have to bear with pulling the damn door open._

_A sudden random memory flashed across her mind. It was of the 'witty' slaver that had earlier nearly hurt Kiki. His smirk delved itself into Sakura's thoughts until her very body was shaking with anger. With her eyes still closed, she didn't notice that the chakra had subconsciously spread through the whole door and was now pulsating dangerously. The colour had completely changed to a very very small shade of crimson. Even though she couldn't see, a new found power had started to flow through her veins throughout her entire body, building up a little every second she waited. It made her feel… Powerful. Whereas the bubble of fright at the back of her mind was also starting to grow bigger._

_What is this? Was the thought that caused her to pull with all her being? The wood immediately smashed into hundreds of pieces and littered themselves among the dirty floor._

_Sakura stood amongst the carnage, staring wide eyed at her whitened hands. The chakra had now disappeared. Dispersed as she had finally come to terms with what was happening to her and finally in the end – panicked._

"I remember," Cairo said grimly. "And I do still not quite want to believe that this is happening to one so young.." He tutted and shook his head sadly. "Tell me Sakura, what do you know of a person called _Fafnir_."

The very name made her shudder.

Damn, her heart was thrumming so loudly, she was sure he could hear.

"Fafnir was a prophet who died of a mysterious disease," she echoed Itachi's words from 6 years ago. "He sealed the nine evil demons into humans, who had individual tattoos on their bodies to show they were containers. With every container to die, a new one had to be chosen or the demons would be free again - that's how Naruto and Gaara became one," she rattled her head. "He also said that Fafnir wrote a letter to a friend before he died, containing the prophecy."

She tried to open her mouth to speak again, but no sound seemed to emit from it. Her eyes creased with effort and Cairo wore a gentle look or understanding. He extended a withered hand and clasped her shoulder gently.

"It's a hard thing to talk about, isn't it?"

She nodded wordlessly.

"Can you remember what the prophecy in the letter, said?"

_"__' A young, strong woman with the will of one thousand men, eyes filled with determination and hair to rival the earth's beauty itself. This one woman would defeat all nine demons again and finally close the gap between the demon dimension and the human dimension forever. Thus returning the universe to its natural balance once again_.'" She recited. She gave a loud almost hysterical laugh that sounded like a sob. "Ironic really, I never used to believe in fate."  
"Fate is a lot to take in," he said wisely. "But I really must say Sakura, you're taking this a lot better than I first expected you would have."

She sighed. "Me too actually.. But I guess I've been worrying for so long now, that it's become a little bit of a relief to finally get the answers I've waited so long for."

They both lapsed into a comfortable silence thinking hard. Cairo eased his weary body out of the chair and paced around the office to stretch his legs. He stopped at one of the large windows and peered out at the village.

"It is time, miss Sakura, that you face your final destiny," he murmured. "You have a beast within you, like Naruto. You hold Haekeri - the ten tailed dragon."

She was just open to open her mouth and ask him how the heck he knew Naruto, and the fact he had Kyuubi! But the harsh truth sank into Sakura and she felt herself wilting like a flower. She found herself clutching her chest, silent tears cascading down her face. Again words seemed to escape her. All she could manage was; "Since when?"

Cario turned to face her, avoiding her eyes. "Since you were seventeen. Fafnir was on earth again briefly, to oversee Haekeri pour himself into your body and to meet me. When Haekeri first came to earth, he was already weak. All those occasions when he lent you his strength - only seemed to drain his power even more.. But now I've returned to tell you that his strength has now returned and he can be summoned," Cario reassuringly patted her knee. "You have a long journey to go on - in which Haekeri and I will accompany you all the way. This journey will complete your destiny."

The girl was now shaking. "Is.. He here now? C-can he hear us?"

"In a sense," Cairo replied. "But he's dormant right now, sleeping inside you. If you chose to accept your destiny, we will awaken him and bond you both-.."

"_Wait_.. I have a choice?"

"Of course," he said patiently. "I cannot force you to risk your life - but there may be terrible consequences if you say no. Haekeri will leave you and wait many years to become ready in somebody else. By that time, the demons may have risen again and killed their containers to set themselves free."

Sakura was confused. "So if I don't go on this 'journey', the nine tailed demons would gain more power and become even worse?" They were so evil already, in her eyes - she couldn't imagine a world if they became more evil.

She noticed that Cairo was once again avoiding her eyes and suddenly became interested in the intricate design on his sandal.

"Yes. That means Naruto and Gaara would.. Die too."

It was like someone had thrown a lakeful of icy cold water over her and stabbed her at the same time. Her hair and skin prickled unpleasantly and a shiver ran down her spine.

"N-Naruto.."

Cairo said nothing, only giving a small nod.

_I won't let him die - I WON'T.. I REFUSE. I can't.. Oh god. It's too horrible to even think of.. Naruto..._

She gnashed her teeth together and stood up with such a force that her chair went flying and collided with the wall. She stared confidently into Cairo's grey orbs.

"I'll do it," she snarled. "I'll save him. I'll do the whole journey thing."

"Have you thought this through? The journey involves finding and eradicating all the tailed demons. It is tough work and cannot be taken lightly.. Once we awaken Haekeri, he will not go back to sleep again."

"What choice do I have?" She muttered miserably. "I love Naruto and would do anything to save his life.. I'll even become a monster for him."

The old man slowly moved to her side and clasped her arm comfortingly. "You will never be a monster," he murmured. "Haekeri is not like the others, he believes in peace. He will help you and never take control of you."

Sakura nodded and quickly composed herself - she was almost ashamed that she was acting this way in front of a total stranger! Oh if only Tsunade could see her now..

"I promised Fafnir I'd find you when Haekeri was strong again," it seemed as if Cairo was talking to himself now. "Unlike you - I have neither a village nor a family. My wife passed away and my unborn child died with her."

"Oh! I-I'm sorry.. To hear that."

_He must be lonely; Konoha and my friends are always there for me whenever I need them._

He gave a small lopsided smile and waved away her apology with a withered hand. "Thank you, but it was many years ago and I have long since made my peace with it."

Sakura merely nodded, not at all sure of how to reply to this. Cairo's face wrinkled with his thoughts.

"After your battle with Orochimaru, Fafnir returned to the heavens and I travelled around the countries for a while - seeing many things, also gathering some uh.. Evidence for our journey," he suddenly looked grim again. "Are you _sure _you're prepared to take on this burden?"

"Yes." Sakura said quickly. Cairo shot her one last pained look and slowly rose from his chair, easing his stiff joints. Sakura moved forward in an attempt to help, but suddenly thought better of it and awkwardly shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

He cleared his throat.

"I suggest you talk to your husband and friends about your decision. They may come with us if they wish to - Shu especially. But they _have _to stay out of the way while you and Haekeri are working."

"Friends can come? So I can still be with Naruto? And Shu? What's he got to do with this?"

The old man chuckled as she fired the questions at him. "Yes, Naruto can come. And Shu is no ordinary ferret, Sakura," he looked down and checked his watch. "But I think that will be enough for now, so I'll have to bring this meeting to a close. I must inform your Hokage of your situation - she's very scary isn't she? - Plus, I need to book myself into a hotel-.."

"B-but.. I have so many questions!"

"All of which I'll answer the next time we meet," he said patiently. "You've had an awful lot of information to digest today, Sakura. I will meet you two days from now at sunset, I will be waiting on top of the Hokage monument for you, and we will perform the ritual to summon Haekeri."

Sakura nodded meekly as he bid her goodbye and shuffled towards the office door. Sakura darted forwards and grabbed a handful of his robes. He turned to her with a questioning look.

"How long have I got left in Konoha?" She said quietly.

"A week at the least." He murmured and slipped out of the door.


	6. For the Worst

**Wowwee, I stayed at my nan's house for 3 days and managed to jot down the next two chapters in my jumbo notepad thingy.. Anyways, I feel kinda proud (: **

**Yet more viruses are plaguing my computer (sigh) and I admit, it is very hard to imagine someone so evil, as to create a virus and destory other people's computers that they have paid for and everything. It's just very sad, you know? I'm not even angry - I pity them.**

**During this story, Im thinking about branching off and finishing some other OneShots off, that I've started and maybe starting some new things - after all, I'd probably end up getting writer's block or something xD I'm still in two minds about it though - meh.**

**Please review/fave/alert - thankesh :D**

"... Blah ... " - Speech

_" ... Blah ... " - Thoughts and flashbacks_

**" ... Blah ..." - Kyuubi and Haekeri**

* * *

**Betrayal 3: Destiny's Darkness**

**Chapter Six: For the Worst**

**-&- **

It was lunch time when Sakura stepped through the front door, a takeaway tea in her hands.

All through the trip home, she had been thinking very hard about what she had just agreed to do. It seemed like a million years ago, that she had woken up that very morning - totally unaware of.. Well, everything. She'd been honestly expecting to be terrified out of her wits by all of this, and true - she was scared. But surprisingly, she was more curious and relieved than anything. Now she knew exactly what was going to happen - _if _she managed to survive, her life would be her own again and Naruto would be saved!

How on earth was she going to defeat nine, tailed demons? _Powerful angry vicious _Demons?

And how weird would it feel when Haekeri was awakened and be conscious in her mind.. Talking and reading every thought that passed through her mind. Experiencing her emotions..

An involuntary shiver ran down her spine.

_I'll still be human_, she told herself firmly. _I'll still be Sakura. I'll just.. Be housing a demon, that's all._

She was immensely glad that Inner Sakura was no longer around to make a snide comment.

Still.. She only had one week.

One week to say goodbye, one week to house Ashi somewhere else and one week to tie up any loose ends.

"Home!" She called, dumping her jacket and keys by the stairs and taking her tea into the kitchen.

Shu was on the counter again, all traces of the cereal mysteriously gone now. She smiled and gently rubbed the tender space between his ears, and he purred loudly.

"So what's your secret Shu?" She murmured. "Why are you no ordinary ferret? I'm guessing you won't tell me, ne?"

It seemed to be grinning up at her, wolfishly.

It was then, that two arm arms encircled her waist and a big floppy blonde head landed on her shoulder, blonde spikes invading her face.

"Hey baby," Naruto growled. "I was so cold when you left me this morning-.."

"Naruto Uzumaki - are you trying to send me on a guilt trip to lure me back into bed?"

"God I hope not," Ashi grunted as he entered the kitchen with a slice of toast half hanging outside his mouth. "The _noise _you both were making last night.."

"Damn right," Naruto retorted. "Shouldn't you be acting all hormonal too? Teenage thing."

"I'm _nineteen_. Been there, don't that." Ashi smirked and dropped into a kitchen seat and proceeded to finish his toast. "Anyway, did you find out why you were needed this morning, Sakura?"

She tried not to let the uneasiness show on her face. "I guess you can say that - can you sit down too, Naruto?"

The boys exchanged curious glances and Naruto sank into the seat beside Ashi and flung his arm over the side. Sakura sat directly across with them, bit her lip and played with her fingers nervously.

She inwardly gulped - not expecting them to be so silent so quickly.. Nether less, she swallowed her nervousness and began talking.

"Uh," she paused. "I found out what I need to do - at last," she couldn't help adding. "The thing is I've uh.. Accepted it, so some things around here are going to change really, really soon." She broke off at the sight of both Ashi's and Naruto's confused faces.

"'What you need to do'? Did you forget something?" Naruto asked.

"No," she said, exasperated. "I mean future-wise. You know, the prophecy-.."

"How!" Ashi demanded, cutting across. "Did you figure it out yourself?"

"No.. An old man came to the village in order to visit me and that's why Tsunade ordered me into her office this morning, he wanted to see me. He managed to know already about the prophecy and told me he was a friend of the old prophet that predicted it to begin with-.." She sighed and stopped talking once more - very much doubting that they would understand that sentence well. She ignored her tired throat and began recalling the events of that morning to them - not at all pausing when a flicker of emotion crossed their faces. When she was done, she sat back in her chair and drank the tea, watching them closely. Ashi now looked nonplussed and somewhat satisfied and he shot her an encouraging smile. Naruto just paled.

"So, umm.. In roughly a weeks time, I'll have to leave." She added lamely.

The atmosphere now had changed completely as Naruto's fist came slamming down on the table, his eyes filled with rage.

"You. Are. Not. Going," he snarled. "You - not risking life.. NO."

"It's _her _destiny. She's accepted what she needs to do and the risks, it's already in motion. We can't stop it." Ashi said calmly.

"We damn well can!" Naruto yelled and turned to Sakura. "YOU! Why the hell, did you _accept _it? Why didn't you turn round and tell the old guy to disappear!"

Sakura had tactfully left out the small part about the demons eventually overpowering their containers if she didn't act quickly. Naruto didn't _need _to know that.

"Only I can do this, Naru-.."

"NO."

"Kyuubi wouldn't let y-.."

"SCREW THE DAMN FOX!" Naruto was seriously at boiling point now. His nails were dug into the table so hard, there were indents in the wood and his eyes were dangerously flashing crimson.

"Calm down!" Sakura commanded in a voice she hardly recognized. To her great surprise, Naruto obeyed and sank moodily back down into his seat. When all was quiet, she began talking again. "Now, some things have to be taken care of before I... I leave." She stared pointedly at Ashi, who stared amusedly back at her.

"This old man told you that people can come, right?" He questioned and Sakura nodded. "Good. I'm coming."

"I'm coming too, Sakura!" Naruto hissed. "Don't you dare say that I'm not and give me some 'protecting me' crap!"

"You're one to talk," she said coolly. "And anyway, I uh.. Was going to suggest that you come too actually. You really think I'd be able to survive GOD knows how many months without my husband? Without my Naruto?" She then shot a glance at Ashi. "But you on the other hand, _are not_."

"You need all the help you can get with these demons. Even though Naruto nor I can't directly help with the fighting, we can offer you support. Plus I may be able to help in some way with my illusion techniques." Ashi said quietly.

"But the Akatsuki may still be after you!"

"So you'd rather leave me here alone, in your beloved home village with your friends?"

"But.. Sasuke-.."

"My uncle is following his path - however unhappy I am about it, I have to follow mine too. Besides, I think Sasuke would be secretly disappointed if I played the 'good boy' and stayed put. I'm sure he'd much rather I actually _learned _a few things. I know he's agree with me."

Naruto suddenly sighed. "He's right," he said flatly. "Kid's coming too."

At that point, Ashi broke out into a huge smirk and triumphantly stroked Shu's fur as the ferret scuttled onto his knees. Sakura raked a tired hand though her hair and Naruto silently got up and kneeled by her side, wrapping his arms around her comfortingly.

The rest of the afternoon flew by pretty quickly after that conversation and Sakura had noticed that Naruto had been following her around the house all day. He was probably more terrified then she was, Sakura realized. After all, he had first hand experience of how terrible the nine tailed beasts could be. Plus he was also probably wondering how on _earth _she was going to get Kyuubi out of him and destroy it. She didn't allow herself to even think about that.

After two agony filled sleepless nights, it was Wednesday and at sunset, she would meet Cairo and they would call Haekeri forward. With a dark pang in her heart as she got dressed, she realized that today would be the last time that she's be able to have her thoughts to herself, for probably a long while.

She decided to skip breakfast altogether and just have some tea instead. Naruto was being unusually quiet, worrying silently.

_He probably thinks I won't be the same person after tonight. _She thought sadly. _Like there would be a demon staring out of my eyes at him all the time_. The worst thing was, she couldn't even comfort him because she didn't even know if she'd be the same after the transformation. She didn't know. _Well Cairo said that Haekeri would never take control of me or anything._

She felt sick. Her stomach lurched uncomforting.

She glanced at the clock for the millionth time, the hands were going painfully slow, almost backwards it seemed.

After a long hour, she'd finally had enough and grabbed her keys from the kitchen counter. Naruto gave her a confused look.

"Mind if I go out?" She smiled. "I uh.. Need to talk to Kakashi."

Naruto nodded and gently pressed his lips on hers - she could almost feel the desperation and longing through them. Before she could burst out crying, she said goodbye and slipped out into the afternoon sun.

Of course she wasn't _literally _going to talk to Kakashi - he was long gone now. It was hers and Naruto's way of saying 'I need to go and be alone at Kakashi's grave for a bit'. And they both respected that.

It had been a while since she'd been to the Yuki Cemetery on the edge of the village, things had been busy at work before Cario arrived. The past two days, she'd called in sick and no one followed her, which meant that the old man must have told them her secret.

There was another pang of guilt as she realized that she had not visited her parent's graves in a while..

She hurried down a couple of empty streets and alleyways - determined not to be stopped by anyone, she wasn't in the mood for polite conversation. A few minutes later, the road ended to reveal a dead end. Two black iron gates stood silently. The 'Cemetery' sign hung above them.

She slipped through the gates and slowly made her way through the mounds and mounds of gravestones - villagers and many shinobi killed in battle.

The air seemed grey and heavier. The trees hung limply in the distance and small wildflowers were dotted about everywhere.

Near the back of the Cemetery which was normally reserved for particularly talented or influential ninja, she found Kakashi's headstone among an array of daisies. She carefully knelt in front of it and began absentmindedly brushing the ivy off the sides.

"Hey sensei," she whispered. "How are you? I'm sorry I haven't been to visit in a while, lot's of stuff came up," she broke off and sighed. "Know anyone called Fafnir up there? I'm not too sure if you know, but I have a bit of a mission to accomplish. A big one. I've never really done anything like it before-.." she broke off once again and bit her lip.

On his headstone was a section of text which read;

_'It roots the earth. It dregs the sea. It flows like water and whatever will be, shall be.'_

Sakura had never quite understood the quote until now.

"Im sacred Kakashi," she admitted. "Way more than I ever have been actually. I'd much rather fight Orochimaru one _hundred _times over than go through with this.. B-But, I accepted my fate - so I got to deal with it.." Tears began to dribble down her face. "I guess I came to say goodbye - because there's a good chance I may not come back from this," her voice was now barely a whisper. "Plus I don't want you to worry, I'll try my best though.. I just wish the future of this world didn't depend so much on me.." She laughed uneasily. "I wish I had brought you some flowers or something though.. Even an Icha Icha book would have been good, so I'm very sorry." She gave a small bow and brought her hands together in a small prayer for her late teacher.

The sun had gradually descended lower during her visit and caused the many head stones to emit long dancing shadows. A small wind picked up and Sakura quickly stood up and brushed herself down.

"I better go home and have some food," her stomach gave a loud growl. "And I need to say goodbye to Naruto and Ashi before.. Before it _happens_." She gently kissed her fingers and pressed them to the cold stone.

"Goodbye Kakashi - take care." She murmured and smiled.


	7. The Ritual

**Hey there guys! Another weekly update as promised, I'm hoping you're enjoying this fic so far. In truth, it really hasn't been easy writing this series over the course of two of three years! But anyway, next Thursday I'll be starting my first day of college and I've been advised by a lot of people to study harder than I've been doing and to work a lot harder as well. It's going to be a much rougher two years - all the while when I'm trying to find myself a job as well to earn myself some extra much needed cash. Ah well, I'm just venting really. It's very scary to suddenly be viewed as an adult, as I'm sure many of you may understand. But of course, putting more time into my education means that I will not be able to enjoy the things I love in life the most - such as writing. Although, I will try very hard to keep you guys posted!**

**  
Please review/fave/alert - thank you! :D**

"... Blah ... " - Speech

_" ... Blah ... "_ - Thoughts and flashbacks

**" ... Blah ..." **- Kyuubi and Haekeri

* * *

**Betrayal 3: Destiny's Darkness**

**Chapter Seven: The Ritual**

**&-&-**

"All set?"

Looking at Naruto's thickly pasted fake smile, Sakura wasn't in the least convinced. In fact, it looked as if he'd slept with an overly large hanger in his mouth..

But then again, Sakura veyr much doubted that she looked any better. Ever since returning early that evening from her visit with Kakashi, she'd sub-consciously adopted a fake hyper character - even going as far to pretending to look _forward _to this damn ritual. But regardless of what she felt, she needed to try and reassure the boys that she would be totally fine.

She, Naruto and Ashi were now stood awkwardly at the front door in what looked like a small leaving party. For a few moment, they stood silently and shuffled around in the same spot. Sakura didn't want to risk glancing at Naruto, in case she broke down in tears. Thankfully Ashi was the first to break the painful silence.

"Good luck Sakura," the young man grinned. "Don't go and do anything stupid now."

"I won't," she snorted. "I have a feeling that this demon is going to be much more mature than me anyway. I'll probably get lectured every five seconds."

She bent down to stroke Shu - who had been strangely observant all evening. He's crawled up her body and seated himself comfortably in her warm arms, slightly emitting a strange ferret-like purr. She had also neglected to tell Naruto and Ashi that Shu had some kind of secret that she didn't know about yet. Well - she'd probably find out soon enough anyway.

"I guess I should get going." She casted a worried glance at the setting sun from the window, hoping that she wasn't late and ruined the plans for the evening.

The friends fell into a pregnant silence once more and Sakura reached out to tug the front door open. She glanced back at her boys.

"Bye Ashi, Shu," she gave a watery smile. "Naruto, can you come outside for a second?"

The young Uchiha waited until they were both outside and he waved and shut the door firmly behind them, for privacy. Sakura took Naruto's clammy hands and walked him to to the edge of the small garden where they came to a standstill under a small cherry blossom tree. She inhaled loudly and traced Naruto's cheekbones with a shaking finger.

"I know you're worrying about me - don't try to hide it, I can see right through you!" She scolded quietly. "I _will _be the same as I ever was after tonight Naruto, please believe me! And I _will _still love you and I _will _still want to spend the rest of my life.. _Eternity _with you."

"You don't even know what having a demon inside you is _like._" He sub-consciously touched his stomach where underneath his clothes, Sakura knew the seal was placed there.

She blinked. "Well I'll know soon, won't I?" She said brightly.

"You seem fairly confident about all of this."

"Oh, I am."

He glowered at her for a few moments before cracking a small smile. "Fine, fine," he cupped her face with his hands and gently removed a stray pink hair from them. "But don't put too much pressure on yourself, ok? I'm with you every step of the way and I'm afraid I'm going to stick to you all throughout this ordeal. I hate to see you backed into such a corner, you know? I feel so helpless because I know I can't save you and yet, I really want to try.."

"Idiot," she teased. "You can 'save' me be trying to help me keep my sanity through this. Give me a kick now and again." She leaned upwards and pressed her lips to his. She felt him smile against her mouth and wind his arms around her waist, trapping her there until the butterflies rose in her stomach. With a painful longing, she managed to pull away and keep her head.

"I love you, silly."

"Love you too, idiot-girl." He grinned, almost looking like the normal Naruto again. Minus the dark patches under his eyes.

It took Sakura a painful five more minutes before she could wrench herself away from him. She shot down the path without looking back in case she suddenly changed her mind.

_No, I have to do this_. She thought firmly and increased her jog to a run.

She leaped onto the rickety roof of a small market cart and propelled herself into the nearest building. Streaking against the fierce orange and red sky, she was nothing but a blurry shadow in the coming darkness. All around in the streets below, market vendors were packing up their goods for the night and villagers were returning home to their families and their warm safe houses. Sakura wished she could join them.

The mountains loomed closer as Sakura passed the entertainment district - the past Hokage faces were eerily half shadowed by the sunset and gave Sakura the impression that she was being watched. Gulping away the rising ball of nervousness in her throat, she slipped through a half-concealed path at the side of the mountain, which led right up to the very top.

Why did it feel so badly, like she was going to her own death sentence?

_Because I'll be handing over my mind and body. _Her thoughts whispered. _I'll be a container - nothing but an oven for these coming months._

And for a split second, she actually contemplated on running away.

This thought was soon abandoned of course, as soon as Naruto's worried face popped into her mind sight and extinguished all these negative thoughts. He and the other eight containers were in danger of being killed and overpowered by their own demons, if Sakura didn't do something about it. She was the only one, and they were unknowingly _depending _on her to save their lives.

So she couldn't afford to run now.

She finally reached the top of the mountain and slowed slightly to catch her breath.

Over by the edge of the cliff-face, was the small huddled shape of Cairo waiting patiently on what looked like an old fold-away stool. He spotted Sakura and cheerfully gave her a small wave of recognition.

"Good evening," he smiled warmly when she approached him. "I was just watching the sunset. A friend I knew a while ago always told me about the 'famous' Fire country sunsets and this is the only time I've properly viewed one.." Sakura felt as if someone was holding her voicebox in an iron vice and she only nodded her reply, thankfully Cairo seemed to understand.

He slowly arose from his seat and stared around. "As I understand it, you and Naruto were married up here," he continued conversationally. "I can see why. It is really quite beautiful up here." He cast the sky another admirable look.

"S-so what happens now?" Sakura wanted this ordeal to be over as quickly as possible.

Cairo smiled. "See that small cove over there in the rock? Yes, that one. We will set up in there firstly, and then I will explain the ritual to you before I begin, Miss Sakura. It is not too hard to understand and when we start, I daresay you'll catch on quickly."

She blinked and took one last fleeting look to the way she had traveled up and quickly followed after the old man, who had began strolling over to the entrance.

Inside, the cave was absolutely pitch black and reminded Sakura horribly of the black shack she was trapped in, in Ashi's illusion genjutsu all those years ago. She waved a hand crazily in front of her face, feeling the swishing air but not seeing her hand at all.

She didn't know where Cairo had gone as her ears only detected utter silence. For an insane second, Sakura imagined the lights Sakura coming on and all of her friends yelling _'Surprise__!' _and coming forward to tell her that this was all just a terrible practical joke. Her eyes stung uncomfortably and tried desperately to strain her eyes into the darkness. She felt her way along a slimy, jagged wall and walked impatiently around it. Her skin was cold and prickled with droplets of greenish water and goosebumps from the now, freezing air.

She'd never felt any less like a ninja then she did at that moment. Every fifth step or so, she found herself tripping and swearing under her breath.

_Maybe this is part of the ritual_, she couldn't help to wonder. _First I'm made blind and helpless.. And then the demon takes me roughly from behind, or something.._

From somewhere to the right, she tensed up at the sound of someones voice and a few scratches. She suddenly found herself backing away from the now alighted torches and ran around the room.

The room was pretty large and completely circular - which would explain clearly why she had been following the wall for a long time, without meeting a doorway. The entrance in which they had come in, had disappeared into the wall. She noted that on the stony floor, they were strange differently coloured markings that intertwined and swirled in many different directions to form even more carefully intricate patterns. They all seemed to be directing themselves from the centre of the room and Sakura was forced to tear her eyes away from them as they were making her feel dizzy.

At the centre of the markings, Cairo was seated on his strange chair again and Sakura carefully navigated her way over to him.

"I hope you do not mind, but I have already set things up," he pointed to the marked floor. "But it would have taken a long while to do and I am very sure that you want this to be over as quickly as possible." He reached out and kindly patted her shoulder. She nodded.

He once again vacated his chair and adopted a business-like tone.

"Right. Well the general idea of this whole ceremony is to call Haekeri out of his sleep, within your mind - which of course you already know," he didn't pause for an answer. "This ceremony involves me, only using my own powers to call forth the four main elements to our circle. One element for each direction," he pointed them out to her. "Then I will proceed to ask you a few questions, all of which you reply; 'I will'. After that, you'll probably feel a little high and floaty, because then I will ask Haekeri the same questions and then I will bond you both together. But apart from answering me, you can just relax and watch."

When he was finished, Sakura's mouth became rather dry as this information reeled around her head like a bad film. Of course she couldn't just sit back and 'relax' - no doubt she would be panicking and trying to fight to stay in the middle of the marked circle! However, with a rather dazed look, she nodded her consent and Cairo beamed and rubbed his wrinkled hands together in enthusiasm.

"I must confess I've not done anything like this before," he admitted. "But Fafnir spent a great deal of time going through it with me before he left this world." It did not reassure Sakura, that Cairo looked just about as nervous as she did.

"Let's do this then." She sighed sickly and took her place in the middle, where Cario had been seated moments before. He shot her one lats grin and walked to the north side of the markings.

"Sakura," he warned. "Even if anything scares you during this ritual and you want to get out, trust me - _you must not leave the middle_, alright?"

"I understand." She breathed and didn't dare question why.

He nodded briefly and proceeded to a number of complicated hand signs and arm movements that blurred so much Sakura couldn't keep up. Cario's face wrinkled with concentration and little beads of sweat were beginning to appear beneath his long white hair. Sakura would have giggled, had the situation not been so scary and serious. She surveyed the old man and was surprised to see that he moved almost as quick as she did, despite his age and cracking joints. Every move and every seal he made, was perfect and agile - she could tell he's been practicing a long long time.

Cairo stopped and swiftly placed his right palm in the air.

"Fire," he commanded. "_A lische no aka arde somme' yat. Comme dor_."

Before Sakura could wonder what on earth, the language he was using was, a sudden burst of heat enveloped the room and engulfed them both. Sakura half expected to be on the floor and be writhing in pain. But even though she could feel the flames licking at her porcelain skin, she could not see them and could not feel and sort of pain - except for the heart banging in her chest that is. The north markings began to glow crimson - almost as if there was hot lava spewing beneath the floor.

Cairo was obviously satisfied and quickly shuffled around to the eastern markings and unleashed yet another flurry of strange movements and hand seals. Again, his palm punched the air.

"Earth. _Muri no wotcha tanu lapettu do'oh. Comme dor_."

The markings glowed a handsome shade of light green and the air around was suddenly filled with the aroma of freshly cut grass on the training fields and the smell of a wet rain forest. Sakura licked her lips and could almost taste the pine and wood on the tip of her dainty tongue. It continued to waft around the circle and helped calm her thrumming heart.

Again, Cairo was on the move again, this time to his south. Yet more hand movements.

"Water. _Uri wasu ta'e haiye demo oyo. Comme dor_."

A sudden rush of coolness came as a big relief - especially after the heat of the fire. Sakura could feel her legs being caressed by gentle waves. She snapped her head down to find she was still standing on the cave floor. When she looked up again - Cairo was already positioned and ready at the last stop, West. He made the final necessary signs and held his palm up for the last time.

"Air. _Settuga marde a'oi oxe laspanche etex gu. Comme dor_."

Sakura let out an audible gasp as a sudden gust of wind began to blow and whipped Sakura's cherry pink locks around her face. When the mini tornado has ceased, she realized the whole circle had now lit up in red, green, blue and purple.

She visibly jumped as a hand grasped her shoulder, Cairo was grinning crookedly behind her shoulders. Little beads of sweat were making their way down his face and his hair was sodden. Sakura was just about to open her mouth and let him know that he could take a break if he really wanted to But Cairo seemed to read her mind and stubbornly shook his head.

He quickly swung around to face her and took both of her hands in his own. As soon as they connected, she felt something weird within her body. It felt like butterflies - but it wriggled and writhed uncomfortably like an entity. She could feel something rather cloudy at the back of her mind.

Her first instinct was to yell - scream - run, despite Cairo's warning, who the heck cared what happened? It all felt a little too much for her sanity now - why _shouldn't _she get out while she could? With a sudden mental jab, she was brought back to the present and found herself staring into Cairo's anxious grey eyes.

"Sakura Haruno - do you voluntarily accept your destiny and the responsibility that comes with it?" His voice turned deep and authoritative.

"I will." She said quickly before she had a chance to change her mind. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, a string of a strange fiery blue substance circled around hers and Cairo's joined hands. She felt it lock in place and sudden her hand was frozen to the spot - no matter how much she tried to move it. Again, there was a wriggling feeling within.

"Do you lay your life willingly down to eradicate the evil that plagues with world today, to the best of your abilities and save as many lives as possible?"

"I will."

A second blue thread emitted their hands and twisted in and out of the first one, dancing together. Sakura got the feeling that she might drop at any second. Her legs were shaking like jelly and she was sweating and shivering at the same time. She didn't know how she did it, but she managed to keep herself upright.

"And finally, do you accept the great entity of _Bhadra Haekeri, _the ten-tails, within your body, and work in harmony with him throughout your mission?"

"I will."

Sakura was hardly aware as her body was catapulted into the air with such a force, she thought that some kind of animal must have hit her and somehow knocked her out. She could feel herself revolving slowly in mid air and her breathing coming out in slow painful gasps. Her vision blurred, it was impossible to know where the hell she was.

The cloudy shape huddled at the back of her mind became increasingly clearer - it was powerful and silent. She opened her mouth to try and communicate and question it, to where she was - but no words came and a rush of cold air washed down her throat.

She floated uselessly. Every movement drained her energy.

**"I will."**

What the heck was _that_? Who just spoke into her ear? Was someone else floating near her?

She tried to blink and found herself just closing her eyes completely. Dammit - she couldn't fall asleep now. She promised she'd do something for someone, what did she promise again? She couldn't think of it now, she had to be home soon to make dinner for Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi...

**"I will."  
**

Sakura really hoped she wasn't dead or anything.. Her parents would be worried if she didn't arrive home..

Home? Where?

**"I will."**

A sudden rush of wind suddenly began to tug her body in many different directions and it writhed this way and that. She felt like a beaten up doll that was being thrown around everywhere. Her body ached all over and she opened her mouth to try and scream - anything! Was nobody going to come and save her?

In her ears, there was a dull ringing and a distant roar. Instead of feeling more lost and scared than she already was, she found a weird warmth and fully embraced the sound like it would save her. She could feel this warmth gently carressing her and seeping through her skin, into her inner being and finally ended at her toes. She inwardly smiled fondly like a new mother looking at her new baby and felt this new entity clearly in her mind, smile back. A few seconds later, her felt collided with a hard and damp surface, and two withered hands were pulling her up with surprising strength.

"How do you feel?" Cairo asked eagerly.

His cheeks were flushed pink and there seemed to be dark bags under his eyes. It was pretty obvious - even to someone as mentally drained as Sakura, that he'd gone and over-exerted himself for the ritual.

Sakura clutched her stomach and her head at the same time - both felt as if they'd reached bursting point. She gave a shaky thumbs up to him in response.

Cairo began dusting her down in a fatherly manner. He paused and pointed to her sodden shirt.

"May I?" He asked.

"Go ahead."

Cairo gingerly lifted up the hem of her top a little, so her stomach was showing. He spent a few seconds staring and then broke into a please smile and Sakura could not understand why, until she too, glanced down at herself.

"Tattoo?" She exclaimed incredulously. "I have a tattoo?"

"One of the many ways you can identify a container," Cairo nodded and replaced her shirt back. "It's different for every demon and container. When put together, they mesh and make a unique tattoo. It'll stay with you until Haekeri leaves."

And she had to admit - the tattoo was kind of cool and cute. Inside the Haruno clan insignia, was a single cherry blossom blowing in the wind and a long, pointy fang bent around it. Both of which were very delicately designed.

"So he's awake now?" She suddenly blurted out her most important question and gently touched her stomach.

"Yes," Cairo replied. "He's listening to everything we say now and he now sees the world completely through your eyes. Although, I doubt he'll talk to you at the moment, he sense you're weak and tired right now, so he'll probably introduce himself tomorrow."

She nodded and paused for a few moments. All traces of the ritual markings that had littered the cave floor, had now disappeared and the many torches on the wall, were beginning to dim.

Cairo suggested they return out to the mountain for some fresh air, and Sakura - who was only all too willing to escape the cave, gladly followed him out to the newly formed exit.

It was now very dark and not many lights were on in the silent village below, suggesting that most people had gone to bed. A full moon shone brightly in the sky and there were countless stars twinkling alongside it. Sakura felt the bitter night air, but she was now permanently warm and it didn't bother her.

"Are you alright?"

Awakened from her thoughts, she half glanced at the man.

"I'm fine. Just amazed at how.. _Normal _i'm feeling."

She was not suprised to hear Cairo chuckling quietly. "Yes," he agreed. "You are still _you."  
_

"Naruto will be glad."

"I should imagine he would be. It must have been very hard on him to see the one he loves above all else, go through the very same thing that has caused him so much pain. He has had the most experience, after all."

Sakura paused and tried to straighten out the many questions that were zooming around her head.

"Cairo, what language were you speaking earlier?"

"Hm? In the ritual? Ah - I was speaking _Bhadra_, dragon language."

Her eyes widened. "Dragon language?"

"Yes. Although I'm not fluent in it - I only know certain keywords and phrases that will come in handy. You will probably be able to speak and understand it too, now," he smiled. "_Daughter of the Dragons_." He said in Bhadra. "Any more questions? I can see from your expression, you are dying to ask me more."

"Yes!" She said quickly. "What's Shu's secret?"

Cario seemed amused by this and twiddled his thumbs. "Shu," he began. "Is a spirit guardian. He was sent to this world to watch over our journey and act as a 'messenger', should we need to contact the heavens."

This was the _last _explanation Sakura was expecting, her jaw dropped wide open and her heart thrummed inside her chest. She recalled the time when she first met Shu when he was with Kimoko.

"_This little guy is called Shu," Kimoko murmured fondly, a smile creeping up on her face. "I found him one day in an alley, almost starved to death and took him home with me where I fed him and watered him. He seemed to return to the house every day and soon became a permanent resident – he's so loyal and sweet, I really do love him to bits!"_

Sakura could feel her eyes burn with emotion as she recalled her friend's words. Kimoko was the one to find Shu first, and he stayed with her until Naruto, Sasuke and herself turned up. Did that possibly mean that Shu sensed they were coming and fate 'happened' to make them meet. All these fate speculations made Sakura's head hurt like crazy. She nodded to Cairo's answer.

"Shu can also understand Bhadra too," the man continued. "He might even talk back to you if he isn't in one of his 'temperamental' moods-.."

"T-Talk?!"

"He is gifted," Cairo said simply and checked the smart watch on his withered wrist. "Ah - I hope you do not mind Sakura, but I would like to retire to my room at the Inn now, I am positive you are as tired as I."

In all honestly, Sakura had pushed her exhaustion to the back of her mind and left it there. But now that Cairo had mentioned it, she felt a wash of fatigue wash over her and suddenly felt very drained of all energy. _God knows _how she was going to make it home..

"Would you like me to walk to back to the Inn?"

He waved away her offer. "Thank you, but that will not be needed. Anyway, I imagine that you would like to return home quickly to your friends. They will be worried and want to know if you are alright."

"Yes," she agreed. "They're probably still awake anyway."

"Then go quickly." He said kindly. Before she had time to turn around, he place a hand on her shoulders. "After you have had a decent nights' sleep - or two, will you come and meet me in the training grounds? Two days time?"

"Of course. Are you going to train me?"

He smiled crookedly. "Something like that. I'll be helping you to connect with Haekeri's power, now that he is strong again. Something that you could only do very rarely before."

Sakura nodded silently and hoped to _God _that Cairo's training tactics would be nothing like Tsunade's brutal batterings.. She was suddenly very aware of the presence in her mind once more.

"Cairo, do you remember when you said that I could bring my friends along on the journey?"

"I do, yes."

"Well, would it be alright if I brought Naruto and Ashi? - Shu too, of course."

Cairo nodded. "That would be fine. I'll notify your Hokage of your guests tomorrow, so she'll know where they'll be. But for now - farewell miss Sakura." He said pleasantly and disappeared into the darkness of the hidden mountain path.

Standing only a few moments after he had gone, Sakura remembered her intense tiredness and wasted no time in leaping from the cliff face and plunging down into the village below. She landed swiftly and streaked effortlessly across the tops of buildings towards the residential district - hardly waiting for Naruto's warm arms to be soon around her and the comfort of her bed.

_I'm half demon now - Naruto and I are equals. _She thought rather smugly. _Haekeri and I are gonna kick evil's ass - cha!  
_

And for a moment, she could have sworn the presence at the back of her mind, smiled.


	8. Living with Demons

**Hey guys (: I've been writing a helluva lot recently and reading up on loads of Naruto fics - some of you are really talented I hope you know! There was a Deidara x Sakura fic that's been in my mind and it's called **_Vertigo_**, it's possibly the best fic I've ever read and for those who've read it as well, I'm sure you'll agree. If you have some time after this, I strongly suggest you go and check it out.**

**Sixth form is tiring =( We have our first full week, starting tomorrow.**

**I can't stop listening to classical and instrumental music lately - it's giving me so much of an edge for writing!**

**Wow, this was a long chapter to write xD **

**Please review/fave/alert - thank you! :D**

"... Blah ... " - Speech

_" ... Blah ... "_ - Thoughts, flashbacks and Bhadra.

**" ... Blah ..." **- Kyuubi and Haekeri

* * *

**Betrayal 3: Destiny's Darkness**

**Chapter Eight: Living with Demons**

**-&-**

Sakura was faintly aware that she was half asleep and half awake. It reminded her very much of the time when she woke up in hospital, in the Grass country all those years ago - and Naruto was the first person she set her eyes on when she awoke in that room. She didn't _think _that she was ill now.. True enough, she still had that _crap, I'm bloody exhausted _feeling, but this time it just wasn't as physical.

Deciding it was about time she woke up, her eyes fluttered opened to see that she was on the sofa in her very own living room. From the looks of it, someone had draped a blanket over her and let her sleep there. Outside the patio doors, the sky was still kind of dark and the sun still hadn't risen properly yet. She yawned and flopped back down onto the sofa again and mentally traced patterns on the bumpy ceiling.

What had _happened _when she finished the ritual? She remembered Cairo telling her she should return home and she recalled the feel of the wind rushing through her hair and into her body as she travelled over the rooftops in the handsome moonlight. Had she even stepped through the front door though?

_Maybe I should just go back to sleep_. She yawned once again. _I don't want to wake Naruto up by getting into bed._

Or did she? She knew that Naruto would sure as hell never mind her waking him up - plus her heart was now aching to see hi, every fibre and molecule in her body, pining for the goofy blonde. Still, she bit her lip and forced her body to stay put. She couldn't describe the sudden feeling of _unease _that she had. Sure, Naruto had promised to still love her - despite the 'demon' thing, but that could easily change.

Dammit, he was her _husband. _If he couldn't deal with it, then that would be very hypocritical of him.

She eased out of the makeshift sofa-bed and left the blanket in a ball, on the cushions. She silently padded over the cream carpet and danced lightly up the stairs on her tip-toes, being careful to jump the one that creaked. She effortlessly made her way down the hall and stopped outside Naruto's and hers bedroom door, taking a little deep breath before she grasped the doorknob and eased it open.

The curtains were closed and blocked out most of the early morning sunlight - except for a few beams that littered the carpet. Naruto was sprawled out in his sleep, sub-consciously reaching for her side of the bed and feeling nothingness. She ignored her continuing feeling of unease and quickly slipped under the covers beside him. At the pulling of the bedsheets, his eyes flapped open and he immediately reached for the kunai on the bedside table.

"It's me!" She whispered and grabbed his arm. Still half asleep, he gaped and quickly realized who she was. Before she could open her mouth to say anything else, Naruto had rolled over on top of her and pinned her arms down. She stared wearily up at him.

"What the heck are you doing?"

"Taking back what's _mine_." He growled and bent down to nip her on the neck. She cried out silently in pain and tried to push the tanned boy off of her. He resisted at first and then suddenly backed away to his side of the bed. Sakura narrowed her eyes to see a glint of red in his cerulean orbs.

"What's _wrong _with you?" She hissed.

Naruto visibly paled at her words and the hint of red quickly vanished from his eyes. He looked away. "Kyuubi's angry." He muttered. "He senses the thing inside you and he doesn't like it at all."

Sakura shivered. "You really scared me just then, Naruto. It's obvious Kyuubi doesn't like me any more - I'm going to have to get rid of him in the end aren't I?"

"No!" He unexpectedly snarled. "The damn fox thinks that you _belong _to us. Your demon or whatever the hell it is - he thinks it's _stolen_ you from us."

Sakura would have snorted with laughter if Naruto had not looked so serious. How the hell could Kyuubi have thought that? She belonged solely to Naruto and _only _Naruto. Her allegiance with Haekeri didn't matter in the slightest when it came to her marriage.

"I don't think Haekeri likes Kyuubi either," she said carefully. "Rightfully so, as Kyuubi and the other demons used to once, obey Haekeri."

Naruto's eyes widened. "So it's been officially done then? You're a container?"

"Y-Yeah."

The conversation sort of died then as both internally struggled at what to say next. It was very hard to be close and intimate when both inner demons wanted to tear each other to pieces.. She could almost taste the tension in the air as the silence continued on and on. She sighed and lay on her back, thinking that Naruto had fallen asleep after a long while, but he surprised her by edging slowly closer and nuzzling into her chest. She felt the prickle of anger that didn't belong to her and she suddenly had the _huge _urge to push the boy away. But Sakura ignored this and ran her fingers through his hair until he made a small noise of contentment.

"It's hurts you too, doesn't it?" He whispered.

"Yes. So, so much." Her voice cracked a little and Naruto stared up at her, his eyes searching in her own for the demon he was scared he's see. He smirked and leaned upwards to place chaste kisses on her neck. She again pushed away the murderous intent and pressed her quivering lips against his.

At some point, they both must have fallen asleep again, because they were suddenly jolted awake by the sound of fists pounding on the bedroom door. Naruto growled and snarled at the visitor to go away - it looked as if his night with Sakura had greatly pissed off Kyuubi and he was infecting Naruto's normally good mood.

"Put your dress on Naruto and get up!" Came Ashi's voice from behind the door. Naruto leaped off the bed so fast that Sakura's eyes couldn't quite follow him. He wrenched the door open and chased the giggling Uchiha down the hallway and stairs.

Sakura sighed and proceeded to select her outfit for the day and get to the bathroom pronto - to tidy herself up a bit. When she returned from a steaming shower ten minutes later and fully clothed, she tidied up the bedroom and made the bed, before crossing slowly over to the huge double windows and staring down into the streets below.

_My first whole day as part demon,_ she thought._ I can't believe I'm so different from everyone else in this village now.. Well.. Nearly everyone._

**Indeed.**

Sakura stepped backwards in fright and managed to collide with the dressing table as a strange deep voice replied in her head. Her eyebrows knitted together. She recalled the memory of Cairo the night before, telling her that Haekeri may want to talk to her soon.

_You're.. Haekeri?_

**Yes, I'm the ten tails that your master explained to you about.**

_M-master?_

**Cairo. **The demon prompted simply. She could see at the back of his mind, the demon's horned face twisting into a smile. He could sense her weariness and decided to inch further out of her mind to calm her down. Sakura gently rubbed the back of her leg, where it had smacked painfully into the wood.

_So you're the demon that used to control the other nine, yes?_

**Correct. They were my underlings, until the false promises by **_**that man **_**convinced them to give over their hearts to the side of evil and rebel against me. They managed to injure me so much that I had to return to the heavens and somehow come up with a plan to defeat them. **He gnashed his teeth together impatiently. **Many decades later, Fafnir the prophet, decided to loom further into the ancient documents that this very world is built on. He foresaw your place in this world and recorded it in documents. Not too long after that, he was poisoned in an inn one evening and barely made it out into the forest. Before he died, he had time to write a letter to me - explaining what I should do and he then died alone.**

Sakura gaped at the amount of information that he'd provided her. Some of it was fairly new that neither Cairo or Itachi had said before and it explained a few of the many unanswered questions for her. She wondered why he'd want to share all of this with her. He seemed to read her mind.

**We have no secrets now. **He said. **I'm using your body and telling you everything I know in payment, and you're dedicating yourself to help me kill my ex-comrades. Fair deal.**

_There's one thing I still don't quite understand though, _she wondered. _Most poisons in the bloodstream attach themselves to the red blood cells so they get around the body quickly. I don't understand how quickly Fafnir could have gotten the message to you quick enough before he died._

Haekeri smirked. **It wasn't him that delivered the message, it was the work of your ferret friend. The one you call; 'Shu'.**

Sakura's mouth fell open and she staggered away from the window to land on the newly made bed behind her. She wrinkled her brow.

_Just how long has Shu been around?_

**Almost as long as I have. He's been named many times; Scurry, Deathpaws, Aya and Fet to name a few. You're master told you of how he can send messages to the heavens?**

_Yes, that's why he's coming with us, right? In case you or Cairo needs to talk to Fafnir or someone else._

**Yes.**

Sakura exhaled and ran a wearily hand through her messy hair. She bit her lip and tried to digest all this new information - she still couldn't quite believe that an all-powerful demon was currently residing inside her body and _talking _to her calmly about the past! The sheer thought, wanted to make her burst out in hysterical giggles and then crawl into a dark corner somewhere. In no sense at all, Cairo had told her this whole experience would be easy - but still, it was _unnerving_. How on earth could she face her friends and pretend everything would be alright?

And then there was a huge deal of Naruto and the stupid fox.

Thinking of the nine-tailed fiend, caused Haekeri's hackles to rise and a low growl emitted from him and vibrated around her mind.

_You really don't like him do you?_

The dragon snorted. **That's quite an understatement. Kyuubi is only second to me in power - well he **_**was **_**when I could still control him and the others. Now, I would imagine that he's found some way of making himself stronger - why must we be here so .. Close to him? I can smell him from here..**

_And you'll have to cope with that, _she thought firmly. _I'm sorry, but Naruto is my husband and I LOVE him. I'm not going to let a couple of demons get in the way of our relationship - no matter what their motives are. Naruto and I are a total different subject to you and that damn fox._

**Kyuubi's mine one day though. I'll make sure I'll enjoy his death the most. **Haekeri growled in anticipation.

Sakura shook her head and gingerly stood up, taking a few minutes to steady herself because the room seemed to be slightly swaying. She absent-mindedly straightened out the bedsheets once more and wondered downstairs and into the living room.

Ashi was moodily seated on the sofa, where she'd woken up earlier that morning - a pissed off expression on his normally handsome features. Naruto was leaning against the wall and reading some kind of letter. When Sakura entered - she saw him visibly twitch irritably and that flash of red in his eyes again. Haekeri was once again rearing up in the back of her mind.

"It's quiet in here, ne?" She ignored her demon and walked over to the patio doors to gaze out into the garden. Ashi smirked.

"Are you ok? I found you passed out by the front door earlier, so I moved you in here. I didn't dare want to venture in your bedroom in case Naruto sleeps naked-.."

"I do _not _sleep naked," Naruto growled. "But if you want to see a _real _naked man - all you have to do is ask." Ashi rolled his eyes and continued looking at Sakura, his expression thoughtful.

"You don't seem to have changed much," he murmured. "Which is good."

She nodded. "I feel alright.. My demon is rather um.. _Irritable _though."

**I'd be much more pleasant, if not for the vermin in the corner.**

"Irritable?" Ashi looked confused.

"Um," Sakura bit her lip and searched for a way that she could phrase it correctly. "My demon - Haekeri, doesn't get on with Kyuubi you see," she nodded towards Naruto, who's eyes had locked onto her. "To be honest, it's getting on my nerves a bit."

The room was met with silence and Sakura met Naruto's cerulean gaze. She could see his lips quiver - probably abuse that Kyuubi wanted to hurl at her - she felt her eyes prick again but continued to keep a stoic expression. Ashi looked from one to the other and his question was immediately answered.

"So when have you got to meet the old man again?" Ashi tactfully changed the subject.

"Hrm? Oh - tomorrow, he said he'd meet me at the training grounds, and we'd get some training done," she gabbled quickly. "By the way, apart from being a little moody - Haekeri _is _kind of nice.. To tell you the truth, I'm kind of worried about tomorrow actually. I've been running away from this power for the past five years or so - tomorrow, means that I'll have to properly accept and use it," she bit her lip worriedly. "I'm scared I'll become a monster.."

A low growl from the corner, told Sakura that Naruto strongly disagreed with her stupid feelings. "You will _never _be a monster." He said fiercely. Before Sakura could think of a reply, she found herself being pressed to her love's strong chest and inhaling his pine and ramen scent. She closed her eyes and ignored Haekeri's protests and she enveloped her arms around the lovable blonde. At this point, Ashi had the sense to disappear and give them some time alone. After staying connected for what felt wonderfully like forever, Sakura gently poked Naruto.

"It doesn't hurt for us to be so close like this?"

He chuckled sadly. "It _does _hurt. But I'm ignoring Kyuubi - he can go to hell," Naruto leaned down and planted a kiss on her forehead, he slipped a finger under her chin so that she was now looking up at him. "But Sakura, whatever happens - I _will always _still love you, alright? Demons or no demons."

Her heart fluttered and she smiled.

"Yeah.."

**-&-**

Sakura finished adjusting the kunai holster to her thigh and straightened up happily, to glance at her reflection in the mirror. She looked very healthy and toned - a big change for the crappyness she'd looked in the past weeks. She grinned and blushed a little.

**We should get going or we're going to be late.**

_Alright, alright._

Of course, they were now on their way outside to meet Cairo at the empty genin training grounds. If may have been only a couple of days ago and she and Haekeri had fully 'bonded', but now she was so accustomed to saying 'we', instead of 'I' - which was true in a sense, because they were both separate consciousnesses - minus sharing the same body. So far, Haekeri had also proved surprisingly easy to live with. He barely complained about anything and preferred to silently listen - until of course, Naruto walked into the vicinity and Haekeri either growled or moodily retreated further into her mind. From the pained looks on Naruto's face that she'd caught yesterday and today - she could tell that Kyuubi was less happy about the new arrangements.

Sakura grabbed her leaf headband and tied it around her newly washed hair. She whistled and jogged downstairs to the living room. Naruto was out doing some extra odd jobs for Tsunade to earn some extra cash - before they left Konoha and Ashi was visiting Sasuke, who was due to leave for his hunt for Itachi later that evening. Sakura inwardly rolled her eyes and she said goodbye to Shu and stepped out into the sunshine. She was _very _worried about the elder Uchiha. And although Ashi didn't like to show his weakness, she could tell that the younger boy was indeed worried too. It almost broke her heart that the poor boy was dragged into all of this.

She expertly wove in and out of the morning crowd in the market square, barely having time to smile and anyone who said hello. There was a strong scent of fish in the air and both she and Haekeri were starting to feel sick.

Breaking free from the market, she increased her pace to a jog and quickly passed by the hot springs where a suspicious Jiraiya-looking figure was trying to peek in at the tinted windows. Sakura gritted her teeth in annoyance and continued jogging, until the village roads stopped, and a strip of grass met her. In the middle of the field, Cairo was seated on the wooden pole, that Naruto was tied to years ago, at their first training session with Kakashi.

"Morning," the old man said brightly. "We have a lot to get through and only a few days to fully accomplish it. "Have you talked to Haekeri? Are you both getting on well?"

She nodded. "Yes, he told me about Fafnir's death too. And he seems pretty easy to live with," she sighed. "It would be even easier if he and Kyuubi could control themselves-.."

"Ah," Cairo's eyebrows rose. "I thought there may be a bit of tension there. I should imagine that it is a little difficult for you and Naruto to handle?"

"More so for him, than for me. Kyuubi is more violent after all," she sighed. "For now, we'll just have to cope with it and Kyuubi's going to have to keep his mouth shut."

**Or I'll shut it for him. **Haekeri growled.

Cairo gave a small smile. "Yes, Haekeri and Kyuubi have a deep rift between them. When Haekeri used to be in control of the other demons, Kyuubi was his second-in-command and his closest friend. And then he was betrayed."

Sakura's eyebrows rose and she searched her mind for the demon, lurking silently in the corner, waves of regret emanating off his scaled body. She had no idea what that must have felt like, to have her closest friend turn round and betray her. She bit her lip as a rush of guilt suddenly consumed her. She _did _betray didn't see? She ran off to join the Akatsuki under false promises of power - not giving a second thought to how her village or her friends would react, she forced herself not to think of it at all. It was kind of ironic really. Her life was like a circle of betrayal and everyone was caught up in its web.

Cairo waited patiently for her to arise out of her thoughts. He sympathetically patted her shoulder and gestured to the wooden pole that he was sitting on moments before.

"Please put your weapons on there, you won't be needing them now."

She decided not to question it and dumped her kunai holster and shuriken and scrolls there. She faced Cairo again, who had taken a few steps backwards so they were an even distance apart.

"In a battle," he began. "Weapons are not the only tools are your disposal. As you are probably familiar with, some ninja do not need use of any type of weapon at all, and reply solely on their chakra.. Like Naruto," he added as an afterthought. "You have been in the same team with him for years, as I understand it - has he ever used a katana or another type of weapon?"

She casted her mind back to their genin days. "I think he used kunai a couple of times.. Mostly he relies on his shadow clones and Rasengan."

Cairo nodded. "Well the main point of this training session today, is to train you in the use of just your bare hands. If an enemy kicks a weapon out of your hand, or you lose it - you need to be prepared for hand to hand combat. Now, your hokage has told me that you are very experienced in chakra control?"

"Yes."

"Good. However, it is not your own chakra that you will fall back on. Haekeri's chakra will support you as well. I'm going to teach you how to control it, because you did not know how before. It only surfaced when you were feeling particular emotional or unstable."

He finished off his sentence by smiling encouragingly at her. She felt her lips quiver as she tried to smile back. Worried, to embrace the power that she'd been running from since she was seventeen. Seeing Naruto enveloped in Kyuubi's power, on missions when they were kids, was very scary - would she be a monster too? Unable to control her own body and end up attacking and possibly killing her own friends?

"First of all," Cairo's voice cut into her thoughts. "I need you to start channelling Haekeri's chakra, Sakura."

"How do I do that?"

He smiled. "Only you know how. I am afraid, I cannot tell you, because only _you _know. You may not know it, but the knowledge is in there somewhere."

Sakura inwardly rolled her eyes at the cryptic clues and closed her lids. She tried very hard to push away the negative thoughts - even though they kept bouncing back at her like angry bees. In her minds eye, she could see Haekeri silently observing, seeing if she had the potential or not. Slightly irritated by his apparent lack of trust, she forced her mind to go blank and pictured a ball of red flame.

She imagined the wisps of chakra making their way from her chakra points and climbing up through her body and slid across her mind, until they finally connected with Haekeri, and he added his own chakra to the channels, turning them crimson and bubbling. Sakura's brow creased as the bubbling chakra started to make her skin prickle uncomfortably. If she let it get out of control, she would probably end up transforming into a mini version of the demon. She could feel her mind creaking a little at the strain of keeping the chakra until control - it was still bubbling, but her heart gave an excited leap, as it began to calm down and continue flowing through her body.

It was as if all the cells and organisms in her body, turned to face the chakra and fed from it. She could feel the insides of her skin churning and wriggling slightly, as her body's defence was being strengthened. She half smirked and forced a little of her new found power, into her fist. She waited until the balance was exactly right, and then she took her fist and slammed it into the ground below her.

The effect was immediate and she was suddenly thrown into the air and tumbling gracefully onto the top of a boulder nearby. Her eyes were open now and she was grinning triumphantly at her work.

The ground was completely wrecked and there was a deep crevice where she had stood moments before. Grass and soil were in every direction - for a moment, she was worried that Cairo hadn't foreseen this, and had accidently got caught up in the devastation. Her worries were immediately eased when he appeared behind her and placed a withered hand on her back.

"Congratulations," he said warmly. "I see your master was not exaggerating."

Sakura smiled and felt Haekeri smile with her.

**I knew you would not disappoint me.**

She snorted. _What? So you really thought I was as weak as I was, five years ago?_

**No, **he grinned wolfishly. **I was just surprised that you handled it very well. Not just any person would have been able to consciously control my chakra as well as their own - let alone channel it to a specific part of their body and keep the balance continuous. I see that Fafnir was correct, when he chose you to be my anchor to this world.**

Sakura could think of no reply to this huge compliment, so she just giggled and blushed, her cheeks turned pink. Cairo then suggested that they work on her taijutsu and yet more chakra control techniques, before they wrapped up for the day. She worked tirelessly throughout the whole afternoon and concentrated solely on the demon and her new power. She could feel the fatigue slowly work its way up her body and by the time sunset came, she was aching all over and sweating heavily.

"I think that's it for today," Cairo said steadily and wiped his forehead. "You pick up things, really fast miss Sakura. You should be proud of what you have accomplished here today."

"So I'm making progress?" She grinned.

"Oh definitely. And I can tell that Haekeri agrees with me too, I see him smiling through your eyes. He is excited at the prospect of working with you."

"Well, he is very easy to work with."

Cairo walked her back into the village, after using an earth jutsu to return the training grounds back to their original state. Sakura walked him to the entrance to the inn he was staying at, thanked him for the days work and bid him goodbye. He praised her once again and left to get some dinner.

_Alright, we need to meet the others at the village gates and say goodbye to Sasuke, _Sakura's happiness was fizzing away fast as it dawned on her, that Sasuke may never return to the village again after this night.

**The Uchiha will be fine. He's held his grudge for the elder brother for so long, it's impossible to forget now. Plus the brother killed his one and only love interest and dumped the nephew. **

Sakura was just about to question how on earth Haekeri knew so much. It was so obvious that he'd read her memories that she didn't even bother to open her mouth.

The village gates were only just a few streets away, so it took her little time to jog briskly around the shops and restaurants in the entertainment district. Her intense worry for Sasuke, replaced her tiredness so she no longer felt the painful jabs in her limbs. Cutting through a side alley and leaping over a couple of fences, she landed at the gates and saw her friends standing over by the guard station hut.

"Wow Sakura," Sasuke smirked, looking her up and down. "Who was unlucky enough to get into a fight with you?"

"Some academy kids," she laughed. "Anyway, you don't look much better!"

And she was right. Dark purple circles lined his eyes and gave him the impression that he was a walking panda. She guessed he'd been training so much recently, that he'd simply _forgotten _to eat or sleep very much. Her eyes travelled over to Ashi, leaned against the hut wall, looking more stoic than usual. Sasuke's eyes kept flickering to him too, and back again.

"Sure you won't stay and have some ramen at Ichiraku?" Naruto shoved his hands in his pockets and stared longingly back at the restaurants.

"Definitely not. Stop eating that junk, you idiot." Sasuke looked as if he was about to say something else, but instead he shook his head and held out a pale hand, Naruto's extended his own hand and they briefly shook. Sasuke turned to Ashi and awkwardly threw an arm around his nephew's shoulder. Ashi looked surprised at the physical contact and let his body fall limp.

"Have fun abandoning me, uncle." The nineteen-year old gave a small smile and was suddenly interested in his shoes. Sasuke seemed to understand the sentiment and clapped the teenager on the shoulder. They both broke away after a few moments and Sasuke didn't look at him again. He slowly faced Sakura and they both stood staring for a few seconds.

Looking into his dark eyes, Sakura could almost see the utter regret of refusing her annoying feelings when they were both so young. Of course, he was reluctant to bring any of those painful memories up again - especially as Naruto was so nearby. Sakura could feel her throat start to close up as she recalled those wonderful times Team 7 had shared together. Good and bad.

She was suddenly aware that Sasuke had placed a hand on her head and brought it to his chest, so her nose was filled with his strong scent. It was over as quickly as it happened and Sasuke was then shaking her hand too.

_He looks terrified. _She noted.

**He knows this may be the last time he sees the only people that he regards at close friends.**

Trying not to cry and demand that he stay in the village, Sakura waved and stepped closer to Naruto, who slid his arm around her shoulders in comfort. He didn't show it, but she could tell Naruto wanted to do the same. She placed a hand on Ashi's shoulder and brought him closer. He too, looked much more pale than usual.

Sasuke walked away for a few steps. He turned around and looked at them individually one last time, before giving a small nod of recognition and venturing out of the gates, his figure now only a shadow in the moonlight.

Sasuke Uchiha had begun his final mission.


	9. On the Road

**Hey there! Uwaaah more reviews please? Don't get me wrong, I'm not begging nor a review whore. Reviews are also what makes the story, without them I'll lose my morale and probably discontinue this or something. I don't know.**

**College is actually shaping up to be pretty cool xD I have about 10 frees a week! Also sorry this chappie is like two weeks late guys, I've been so so SO busy lately with work and revision PLUS writers block has set in a little :( After the amount of writing I got done in the summer holidays, I guess im feeling a little slow at the moment. You guys ever get that?**

**Bloody hell, so much homework.**

**On a totally unrelated note; there's a freaking cute guy in my Art class xD Muah ha ha ha. The downer is that he smokes :(**

"... Blah ... " - Speech

_" ... Blah ... "_ - Thoughts, flashbacks and Bhadra.

**" ... Blah ..." - **Kyuubi and Haekeri

* * *

**Betrayal 3: Destiny's Darkness**

**Chapter Nine: On the Road**

**-&-**

One more day.

Sakura tossed and turned all night in her normally comfy bed, struggling to find the peacefulness of sleep. Although Naruto lay still next to her, she could tell that he was awake in the pitch blackness and probably staring up at the ceiling. Kyuubi had not relented tormenting Naruto for as long as Sakura was in the same room with him. Haekeri had admittedly been no better - Sakura could feel the irritation welling up within him every time she stepped through the front door. However, her training sessions with Cairo were scarily improving at an insane pace - she had no doubt that it was the only way Haekeri could relieve his stress at not being able to attack the fox. On the bad side, the chakra was becoming so powerful that her joints ached more than normal after the sessions.

Sakura sighed again and moved onto her side, away from the silent boy laying next to her, depression slowly welling up inside. She and Naruto had hardly touched or kissed since she'd become a container. Sure, she understood about Kyuubi and sympathized with the situation. But.. She _missed _the blonde boy - and he was just a few inches away! It was ridiculous.

"Naruto?"

The sheets rustled. His tired voice. "Yeah?"

She cautiously turned on her other side to face the boy to see him stare wearily back. She gulped silently and leaned forward to press her lips to his. She tried not to feel wounded as he stiffened in shock

"I love you."

"I love you too." His voice was almost monotonous.

Sakura pouted in the darkness and shifted her body closer, heat was radiating off his sunkissed skin. There was growling in her head again.

"Dammit Naruto." She muttered and sat up, tossing the sheets aside. She could feel Naruto's gaze burn into her back and it made her clench her fists together. "Stop being so.. Cold.." Her voice came out in a whisper.

A snort. From him.

"I know you're having trouble with Kyuubi," she continued. "I _get _that.. You think it's easy for me too?"

"Mrrm."

Sakura's last tether ended and she flipped backwards and landed on the boy's stomach, straddling him and pinning his arms above his head. He was obviously dumbstruck at the sudden violence and obediently lay there quietly for a few seconds, before snarling and struggling to move.

"In our wedding vows," she hissed menacingly. "You promised to love me through thick and thin, _come what may_. And even the other day Naruto - you _said and promised _that you'd try harder.. Naruto, _'Demons or no demons, I'll still love you' _- that was in your own words dammit! What, you suddenly want to take that back now - _look at me_.. You want to take that back?"

She was aware that she was now hysterical and sobbing in a heap on the edge of the bed. She buried her head into the mattress to hide the angry tears, although by now it was too late. For a few moments, her heart began to shatter as he said nothing. The bed groaned with effort as he swung himself around to meet her and gently slipped his toned arms around her tiny frame. He patiently waited for her to stop crying and affectionately nuzzled her neck.

"I'm an idiot, ne?" He half chuckled. "No wonder I'm blonde.."

She gave a small quivering smile and pressed herself flat against his chest, he responded by wrapping the covers around them again and lay back - still arms around her.

"I guess.. It's hard," he explained lamely. "It'll be harder for you no doubt in the future - don't get me wrong, I'll be there with you every step of the way.. But Kyuubi," he trailed off and winced. "Kyuubi says things sometimes. Things that disturb me."

Sakura faced him in the eyes. This was news to her. "He.. Says stuff? Like what?"

"Not telling you." Naruto smirked, his worried frown disappeared.

At this point, Sakura was way too tired to argue and was dreading the amount of packing and sorting out they had to do in the morning. She let the drowsiness take over and faintly heard an 'I'm sorry' from Naruto. She mumbled something in reply and fell into comfortable darkness.

**-&-**

Chaos.

She and Naruto had pulled themselves out of bed with great effort, earlier than usual and stumbled about blearily in the dawn light. They dressed and washed and Naruto was the willing volunteer, to go into Ashi's room and wake the boy up. Sakura tried to repress a snort as Naruto reappeared five minutes later with a shoe mark on his arm and several bites on his hand - undoubtedly Shu's work.

All around them, the village was getting up and ready for a new day of potential sales, leisure and missions. Market vendors would be setting up their wares and produce in the market square and the academy children would be returning back to the academy for lessons. The day was in fact, the first of November and Ashi's birthday was a little more than four weeks away, plus Christmas. Sakura had no idea was sort of birthday that Ashi was expected to have - with them travelling around the countries looking for the most dangerous entities that ever lived - she supposed he'd be lucky to see his _next_ birthday. Her heart panged with guilt at the thought of having to endanger him to the ninja world once more. Akatsuki was more than sure to show up - either for him or Naruto. Why was it always the people she loved that were targeted by criminals and psychos?

"Hey Shu." Sakura smiled warmly at the tan ferret, who'd just walked into the bedroom and made himself comfy on the bed sheets. He purred as she gently tickled his tummy and ears. He stopped and stared up at her - she could almost she her own reflection in his dark beady eyes.

**He can see me. **Haekeri concluded. **Through your eyes, I mean.**

_Oh yeah - you're friends aren't you? _She was mildly amused at the thought of a giant ten tailed dragon and a small ferret hanging out with each other.

**You are not the first to think that.. But back where we come from, Shu does not take on this small furry form. He's much stronger and wiser than you expect.**

_He isn't really a ferret then?_

**No. I can't tell you what he is, because there isn't really a particular word for what he is in your language - there isn't even a word for it in **_**my **_**language.**

Sakura continued to absent-mindedly stroke him and survey him. Something that Cairo had said to her a few days ago, popped into her mind. _""Shu can also understand Bhadra too. He might even talk back to you if he isn't in one of his 'temperamental' moods-.."_

_HAEKERI_, she said urgently. _How do I speak Bhadra? _

**It'll be as easy as speaking English or Japanese for you. **He shrugged his scaly shoulders. **Try it and see.**

Sakura mentally cursed his lack of help and she shut him out, to concentrate. She was suddenly very aware of Shu's light brown fur slipping underneath her fingers, she focused solely on his eyes and racked her brain for any sort of clues.

"Hmm," she murmured. "_Hello Shu_."

The ferret continued to stare up at her for a few moments, and she'd wondered if she'd got the language correct and whether not she should try again. But her complete train of though was suddenly lost when Shu got up onto his hind legs and opened his tiny mouth, teeth flashing.

_"Hello giant one_."

Sakura's mouth dropped open and continued to stay open for what felt like an hour. A ferret.. Had just got up on its back legs and _greeted _her? If she was somehow transported back two weeks ago - she would NOT have believed this at all - perhaps thought it was some stupid prank Naruto was pulling. Sakura whipped her head around the room - nope, no Naruto.

"_I scared you," _it wasn't really a question, just a statement. Shu grinned wolfishly. "_Lemme introduce myself properly - well, I guess ya already know who I am already eh? Ya all know me as 'Shu' - I'd tell ya my real name, bu' I doubt ya would be able to pronounce it._" He puffed his tiny chest out proudly and began licking himself until Sakura averted her eyes.

"_N-Nice to meet you_."

It looked as if he was going to reply, when Ashi entered and leaned against the doorway. The ferret gave a small wink at her and resumed to curling himself up into a ball and sleeping. Judging by the look on Ashi's face, the shock of talking to an animal, was still apparent on Sakura's face. She quickly pasted on a small grin.

"Is Naruto behaving himself and not wrecking the house?"

Ashi tsked. "I'll say it as nicely as I can; Naruto's downstairs 'testing' his kunai and shuriken - to see which ones he should bring."

"And by 'testing', you mean?"

"Yup. He even tried to launch one at me," that typical Uchiha smirk appeared. "Almost lost his nose."

Sakura repressed a giggle and stood up, adjusting her simple pink and blue dress. With a silent prompt from Haekeri, she glanced at Ashi and took in his paler-than-usual tone, the purple rings under his eyes and the way his white lips quivered slightly. For the first time since she'd met him - Ashi looked lost and more like a little boy, than a nineteen-year old. She felt the urge to say something - anything that would comfort him. But coping with the departure of his uncle, the possible loss of his father _and _getting ready to perhaps die along with her - didn't have many soothing words involved. For the moment, there was nothing more she could do besides smile and distract him from this. He'd have to find his own way in dealing with things.

"What?" He asked. She jerked out from her thoughts to see the boy stare wearily at her. She shook her head and grinned nonchalantly.

"Eh, nothing. Just wondering whether we should bring some food or not."

Ashi shrugged. "We're leaving at sunset right? We could have some dinner beforehand and then set off. It wouldn't really make any sense to load ourselves down. But maybe you could bring some of those soldier pills."

Sakura nodded. "Ah that sounds like a good idea, thanks Ashi." She managed to keep her smile on until he'd slouched down the corridor to continue packing.

She wandered down the stairs and headed into the kitchen. A pair of strong arms pounced on her as soon as she walked through the doorway and held her to someone's chest.

"Wow, you sure are busy down here, Naruto." She snorted.

"Shush you. I've been doing loads - I think some ramen may be in order as a reward." He purred and affectionately nibbled her ear.

"You're getting no ramen," she pouted. "Ashi says you've been demolishing our house with your kunai."

Naruto frowned and gently released her. "Damn.. I paid him 10 bucks not to tell you."

Sakura sighed wearily and began shifting their baggage from out the kitchen, to be placed by the front door. "Whatever Naruto, just clean up when you're done, alright?" She heard him chuckle and promise that he would, before returning into the kitchen again.

Sakura was immensely relieved to know that he was in a better mood today - especially after their mini-argument the night before. She had no idea if Kyuubi had increased the insults flying at them, but Naruto was currently not showing any sign of stress of pain. In fact, he seemed quite.. happy. Almost as if he was glad to be getting out of the village after such a long time without a decent mission. And Sakura sure as hell, wasn't going to bring up the 'hate' topic and ruin his happiness.

She finished piling up their backpacks and weapons by the front door and gave a huge stretch - her limbs still aching painfully from their training. Something white caught her eye and she identified it as a slip of paper, pushed roughly under the front door. Why didn't they knock and wait instead? She bent down to retrieve the note and turned it over slowly in her hands. The back was sealed with the official hokage seal, which already told her more than she needed to know. Sakura tore it open and began to read;

_Sakura, Naruto._

_I had to write this quickly while Shizune is downstairs getting me tea - I'm really supposed to be writing up a progress report on Akatsuki's movements.. But anyway - the old man who came to see you that day, explained everything to me - the prophecy, the demons and your destiny.. OH SAKURA - why didn't you tell me any of this? I could have helped and trained you up to this point!! Cairo says you've been excelling extremely well in your training sessions though.. As expected of my student._

_In your best interests, only very few people know of your true meaning to going out of the village. Your mission is VERY important, and thus - we can't take the chances that someone will tell one of the other containers and send them into hiding. Not even your close friends know and trust them as much as you may, I'd prefer you stick to the story of, "big mission in the Rain involving pirates"._

_You must do what you must do - please remember that Sakura. No doubt, your journey will be the hardest thing you'll face - and there will be so many decisions to be made. 'Only a coward abandons the mission, and only a bigger coward abandons his friends' - I believe your teacher once told you._

_I'm sorry I have to squeeze in my goodbye into just words - there's so much wisdom I've not unloaded onto you yet, and I'm not sure whether I'll see you again or not.. I suppose this is the best way, I've never been any good at goodbyes.._

_I've taught you everything I know. I hope you'll use that knowledge and return to us as soon as you can. We'll be taking care of your house._

_Be safe. Don't let Naruto get carried away - you know how stupid that idiot can get._

_Lady Tsunade._

Sakura re-read the note a couple of times - the words sinking into her memory. This would possibly be the last bit of communication between her teacher and herself. She wanted to cherish the moment.

"So everybody knows after all.." She didn't know whether to feel particularly glad that nobody knew her business, or annoyed that they wouldn't realize and be thankful at what big risk she was taking. Thinking of the second option, caused a wave of guilt and selfishness to wash over her. She sighed and stuffed the note in the pocket of her dress. She'd show Naruto later or something.

Late as it was, it was only just beginning to seriously dawn on her that she was going to be leaving the village for a long, long time - perhaps forever. She may never get to return home again.

And she was absolutely terrified.

**-&-**

Everything was packed and they'd decided to head over to Ichiraku's, for the 'ramen departure special'.

Moments before sitting down on the comfortable stools, Sakura had to say goodbye to their lovely home. And even earlier that day - she had tracked down all the friends who were in the village currently, and say simple goodbyes to them. No tears.

She imagined that they had to be very surprised - not a lot of people normally took the time out to say farewell to everyone, usually they just received the mission and took off at once to complete it. She knew they were suspicious and her heart panged at the thought of not being able to properly tell them she loved them, or thank you for the wonderful memories they had shared together. She especially found it difficult to choke out a whole sentence when it came to visiting Yamanaka flowers and saying goodbye to Ino.

As their ramen was delivered steaming hot - and a small dish for Shu, they all began to eat in near silence, not uncomfortable, just thinking.

Sakura could almost imagine what Naruto and Ashi were thinking.. 'We're going to die, all down to this pink-headed girl'.

**It is not your fault. And none of you will die.**

_You can't guarantee that - we could all be dead by next week!  
_

**Neither Cairo, Shu or I would allow that. You forget that it is us three, that are also providing you protection for you humans. We are tougher to kill and ultimately stronger. I was born for controlling demons. As cocky as they are, they'll be the ones dying.**

_A..And the containers? _She'd done it. She's finally asked the question that she'd been dreading and avoiding for days. To busy her hands, she clasped her chopsticks so tightly, they turned white and began wolfing down the ramen. She could feel the dragon in the back of her mind, sussing out how to answer.

**It all depends on the container, **he said carefully. **As you know - when a container's demon is torn from them - they would normally be torn apart and would die. **He ignored her mental wince. **But since it is **_**me **_**that is taking out these demons, I'm more or less confident I can achieve it without killing those innocent people.. But again as i said.. It all depends on the container. A strong container would be able to hold onto his or hers self - they'd hold onto their lives and continue on, demon-less.**

Despite the small smidgeon of hope that her scaly new friend had given her, she could still not help but to worry intensely for Naruto. True - he was the strongest person she knew and loved. He'd endured things she couldn't even _imagine_, even as a child! But would it all really be enough to overcome a tailed demon? Kyuubi, no less - only second in power to Haekeri.

**You are doubting me?**

_No_, she sighed. _I'm doubting Kyuubi. I'm worried he'll deliberately try and hurt Naruto._

She could sense Haekeri's yellow eyes widen. **Kyuubi already knows what our goal is here.. But he doesn't know how we're going to achieve it - despite any plans that he's made. He's relying on you relaying your information to Naruto, so he too can learn.**

_So you're saying I can't trust Naruto and tell him our plans?_

**No, I'm saying that you can't tell Kyuubi - it's only unfortunate that both of them share the same mind. Kyuubi may learn that Naruto can possibly survive after him - and he may want to try and change that.**

_W-What do you mean?_

**I mean, that Kyuubi may try and **_**kill **_**Naruto before we even begin our mission.. But that's only if he finds out that Naruto can live on. Without this information, Kyuubi can only speculate and assume loose plans. He has no direction and doesn't like taking risks.**

Sakura's eyes bulged. _You know him so well._

**I'm his superior - it's my job to know how my demons work.**

Sakura rubbed her head and stared into her empty ramen bowl, staring at the floating vegetable shapes in the leftover broth. She felt slightly calmer about the containers perhaps living - but a whole new worry had now arisen. Before now, she'd not questioned the idea of Kyuubi killing Naruto himself, or even having the power to do so. But the more she thought about it, the more she felt stupid for not realizing it in the first place. That damn fox was evil.

She used her pink locks as a curtain and quickly glanced at the blonde boy beside her, still eating and savoring his last bites of dinner. He still looked fairly relaxed and Kyuubi didn't seem to be active at that moment. But small arms of doubt clawed in the pit of her stomach.. Did Naruto know that Kyuubi may kill him? Did he hear the fox making his plans? She was too scared to ask. The fox may even kill him for sharing information to the 'enemy'. As much as she didn't like it - she'd have to lie and do what she must, in order to keep Naruto safe.

Buried in her thoughts, she declined to notice that both boys had now risen from their seats and were staring at her. She felt a small pain on the edge of her fingers and glanced down to see Shu had nipped her to bring her back to the present situation.

"Ahh sorry." she apologized and threw some money down on the counter.

"Weren't paying attention?" Naruto teased. "Come on Sakura, you know better than that. You know you can't afford to really stare into space when we've started our mission, yeah?"

"I do in fact," she replied drily as they bowed and exited the shop. "I was just thinking about something."

"Oh really?" He smirked and slung an arm around her shoulders. "What's so important?"

"Sandals," she lied quickly. "I wondered if mine were falling apart."

Even though it was such a short walk to the city gates, they decided to take their time and take one last long look around the shopping district, picking our their favorite places and recalling memories from their childhood. Ashi listened with curiosity and smirked when Naruto came out looking worst in them. Sakura was silently glad that Ashi had seemed to have cheered up a bit.

They saw many old faces that greeted them and wished them luck for their mission. So as not to arouse suspicion by the blank looks on Naruto's face, Sakura hard showed him the note in which Tsunade had instructed them to keep their real mission a secret.

And so the calming and relaxing lights of the shopping district slowly peeled away into dark streets and lonely paths. Somewhere along the way, Sakura's hand had slipped into Naruto's and they'd moved closer together. Shu was curled up affectionately around Ashi's neck, their faces stoic.

The town gates rose up into view and Sakura glances sideways to see Naruto smile encouragingly. His eyes seemed to be saying 'We'll be okay'. She gratefully leaned up and kissed him and squeezed his hand.

_Deja vu_. She thought as the shadowed figure of Cario waved at them merrily from the Guard's station. She couldn't believe they had only just been here a short time ago to say goodbye to Sasuke!

Cario embraced her into a hug as soon as they were closer and he nodded respectively at both Ashi and Naruto, to which they returned.

"Cold night," Cairo smiled and eyed their bags. "I see you have stripped it down to the bare essentials then?"

"Barely," Sakura murmured and rearranged her mouth into what she hoped was a grin. "It was harder leaving the house than I'd first thought."

He nodded wisely. "You've given up almost everything you own to sleep under the stars most nights - it's a big sacrifice."

Naruto shrugged. "We haven't been out on a proper mission for a long time anyway, but both Sakura and I are used to it."

Cairo nodded and looked pointedly towards Ashi, who smirked. "I have Uchiha blood in me. I can take anything." At his words, Ashi seemed to puff up proudly and a huge grin appeared on his face. He flexed his fingers energetically.

"Ah Uchiha, yes I have heard a lot about your clan." Cario stroked his white beard, which almost glowed in the dying sunlight. "But that is enough about my past.. Sakura - we have a lot of ground to cover and a big mission to begin. As I am sure your hokage already warned you - it will not be easy."

Sakura nodded defiantly. "I know."

"Are you ready? You may not see this place again." He said gently.

"I'm ready." She replied firmly.


	10. Starting Out

**Gah.. So much homework.. So little time..**

**Stressed out :( Any tips of relaxation?**

"... Blah ... " - Speech

_" ... Blah ... "_ - Thoughts, flashbacks and Bhadra.

**" ... Blah ..." - **Kyuubi and Haekeri

* * *

**Betrayal 3: Destiny's Darkness**

**Chapter Ten: ****Starting Out**

**-&-**

The strong, seducting smell of honey and pinecone violated Sakura's nose.

Her eyes blearily opened and for a moment, had to struggle in remembering where she was for a few moments. She was aware of the blonde shape huddled next to her chest, 'its' mouth opening and closing silently. Sakura cast a disdained look at the sleeping Naruto and took a sweeping glance around the strange room.

Almost everything was bathed in a golden light - despite the paper screen blocking out what Sakura assumed, as the morning sunlight. There was a japanese peace lilly in the corner, sitting on a handsome blue table and a matching kotatsu in the middle of the room. She let her eyes wander over the intricate detailing on the carpet and the pictures scaling the walls. Next to the bed, was a messy pile of both hers and Naruto's belongings. No doubt hastily thrown down before last nights adventures.

_That's right_, she blinked. _We're at an inn._

They'd been roughly travelling for about five or six days now, sleeping rough some nights and occasionally at inns. Cairo warned them that they shouldn't have this comfort too often as they were an easily recognisable group, and they could not afford one of the demon containers to guess their objective and cause trouble.. That would come later on.

They were only a few shorts hours away from the Fire country border, beyond it they would have to fend for themselves as best as they could and try to stay alive. So for now, Sakura had tried to stay positive and enjoy the calm atmosphere, before the storms hit.

She quickly let her legs dangle over the side of the bed, so she could slip her underwear and clothing on, trying to shake the matress as less as possible. She didn't want a overly-happy Naruto jumping on her so early. He'd been so damn hyper lately..

Sakura padded barefoot around the darkened room and began to sort their belongings back into reasonable piles, so they could quickly grab them up when they hit the road later on. She stopped in mid-fold as a strange gargling sound came from the bed. Naruto seemed to be slightly shaking - the gargling sound came out of his mouth.

_Kyuubi's strangling him!! _She inwardly shrieked and darted towards the blonde.

**Calm down, **Haekeri could feel the bubbles of worry and anguish rise up in her stomach. **We don't know that Kyuubi is doing anything.**

_LOOK AT HIM! He's struggling for air! _She swore loudly and held her hands over Naruto's throat, she was now shaking so badly that even her chakra wouldn't fully obey her, so she had to waste _precious _seconds trying to keep them steady. Green glowed simaltaneously from her fingertips and etched into his skin. Shre had barely begun to help, when Naruto jerked awake and stared groggily up at her.

"Whaa?"

Nearly in tears, she threw her arms around him. "Idiot! I thought you were dying!"

Hearing the slight hysteria in her voice, he was now fully awake and gently pulling her down beside him once again. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Y-You were laying there -choking! I didn't know what was happening to you!"

"Choking?" He looked completely blank. "What was I choking on?"

"How should I know?"

He fell silent for a second and was lost in his thoughts. Sakura's emerald eyes began to narrow as soon as she saw the sheepish look on his face and the way he rubbed his head.

"Sakura," he grinned guiltily. "I dreamed I was drowning."

In the back of her mind, Haekeri had trouble trying to hide his fanged triumphant smile. He did not say anything but she could see what he really wanted to say was; 'told you so'.

Great, now she felt like a complete idiot.

"Hey - woah!" Naruto kissed her temples. "Don't worry, okay? You were right to worry about me - it might have been something serious, I'm glad you were there for me, alright?" She stared miserably into his beautiful cerulean eyes and managed a small smile, nodding slightly. GOD. How could see have jumped to conclusions like that? To make matters worse, Haekeri and Naruto knew her crazy and irrational fears too!

It would be a miracle if by the end of their mission, she was still sane.

After the little incident, Sakura escaped to the bathroom - purposely taking the longest shower she ever could and cleaning herself up so she would not appear a blotchy mess. When she'd reluctantly returned to the main room, Naruto was fully-clothed and sat on the bed, waiting for her. She felt guilty realising that Naruto had to wash in the small kitchen sink, whereas she had taken so long..

His face split into a sexy grin. "Thought you'd fallen in, for a minute there."

She snorted. "I'm more careful than that - you're the one who always drops the soap," she smirked. "Is everything ready? We need to go downstairs."

"While you were using half the country's water supply, I packed everything." He rose and slung his possessions around his shoulders, extending a hand out to her, a warm invitation. Sakura grinned, shouldered her bag and took his hand.

They left quickly through the yellowy paper doors and headed down the many adjoining hallways, until the stairs came into view. A few minutes later, they entered the inn main room to see Cairo, Ashi and Shu huddled up at a rounded table in the corner. Sakura and Naruto approached quickly, careful not to attract the attention of any other residents - Cairo had also warned them not to let themselves be too recognised.

"Good, there you are." Cario and Ashi shifted closer to make more room around the small mahogany table. They each took a careful glance around the room and leaned in, talking in quiet voices.

"As you know," Cairo began, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "We're nearly across the Fire border. After today, we'll be heading North-east towards the Lightning Country and our first assignment," he adopted a business-like tone. "The current status is that Akatsuki have already captured three of our nine demons - but we will have to deal with that issue later on. For now, we must do the best we can to get to the others, _before they do_."

He paused to take a sip of his ice water, while they waited patiently for him to continue.

"Cat, Turtle, Monkey, Horse, Beetle and.. Fox," he added carefully. "Are the demons we are aiming for at the moment-.."

"So that leaves Racoon, Slug and Ox," Ashi murmured. "Chances are we'll have to somehow get into the Akatsuki base and see where they keep the demons."

Sakura bit her lip anxiously. She had not bet on returning to the very place where had story had begun.

"As I said, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Cairo said quietly. "In the village of Kumo - Cloud.. There is a young woman called Yugito Nii that holds the two tailed cat. She is an active part of her village and they see her skills as an asset. From my notification, she tries to depend on her own skills more than her demon's.. Of course, we could try explaining to her about our cause - she may listen."

"And if not?" Sakura asked.

Cairo adopted a grim expression. "Then we must take it by force."

The group fell into a short silence as a few hungover rowdy businessmen came tumbling down the stairs and stumbling through the main room. As soon as their yells quietened in the distance, Cario turned to her.

"I need to know the two tails's skills and tactics. Anything we can find out would be useful."

**Nibi**, Haekeri closed his yellow eyes in concentration. **Quiet and stealthy. He's patient and very quick on his feet - so it will be hard to corner him. Most likely, he'll work out our plan and tell Yugito to escape. He is not very large and his main attack is to emmit** **fiery blasts from his mouth, that explode on impact. Good for diversions.**

Sakura relayed back Haekeri's information to her friends and watched as new worried expressions appeared on their faces. All except for Ashi of course, who stayed stoic and blank.

"We could get in there as quickly as possible, surround her." Naruto's eyes narrowed.

Cairo nodded. "Yes, that is an option.. But we cannot let the rest of the village know what we are up to - they will see us as common asassins and defend her."

"We need to lead Yugito somewhere quiet then," Sakura said thoughtfully. "But small enough so we can make sure they don't escape, but also so nobody sees nor hears."

"And also somewhere, where Nibi's attacks won't be noticed," Ashi added. "A few explosions won't exactly be missed.."

_Hey, _Sakura realised suddenly. _Kyuubi would surely be listening to us, right?_

**Of course.**

_Then isn't all this information going to help him? He's going to realise sooner or later, that we're here to eradicate him for eternity. _She quickly glanced at Naruto to see him stare at the others, deep in thought.

**It all depends on whether Naruto has mastered the ability to block his thoughts from the fox or not, **Haekeri growled deeply. **He's had the demon pratically from the day he was born - and manages to keep him under control most of the time. But now I've resurfaced - Kyuubi's begun to try and break down those mental walls between himself and Naruto... But Cairo already knows better than to go into intricate details around him.**

Sakura said nothing but continued to be lost in her suspicion, her brow furrowed. It would make sense that Naruto had some sort of way to keep Kyuubi quiet - except for some battles, he'd not made himself so prominant until Haekeri appeared. Was it pure frustration and fear that Kyuubi wanted to make himself be heard? She wanted desperately to question Naruto about all of this - but there was _no _way to do that without Kyuubi overhearing...

".. That is another thing.." Cairo coughed briefly. "When word gets out of us appearing in different places around the countries and stirring up some trouble - there is no doubt we'll be in the bingo books very soon."

Ashi frowned. "Bingo books?"

"Most wanted shinobi. Other villages may see us as a threat and want to eliminate us - despite if they are allied with the Leaf village or not." Sakura said quietly, a dark expression appearing. She turned to Naruto to see him mirroring the same look. No doubt with their earlier dealings with Akatsuki - they'd be more valued than the others.

"We'll try to avoid them when we can of course," Cario stroked Shu's shoulderblades. "But on some occasions, we will have no choice but to kill them.. Yes Sakura - _kill them_.. I am not content with the idea either. But they will be an annoying hindrance," he paused. "And we must hurry." He coughed again and stared pointedly at Sakura. She gazed steadily back as the information passed between them silently.

Coughing a third time, Cairo rose from his seat and settled his small pack around his shoulders, the others following suit and making their way outside.

The skies overhead were covered with the layers of thick forest trees that were covered in last night's rainwater. The group quickly tredged their way though the inn gardens and into the thick cover of the trees. They walked quickly for half an hour, avoiding curious looks from passersby and as soon as they were completely hidden from the small town, Cairo raised his arms in a signal to stop.

"I forgot," he half whispered. "Remove your headbands. From this point on - we are lone shinobi. No headbands. No home..."


	11. Nibi the Two Tailed Cat

**Uwaah xD I've been watching a lot of movies online recently :) Such as Matrix Reloaded, Yes Man, 17 Again and Forrest Gump xD OMGGG I just have to say that I had low expectations, but 17 again was a really sweet film :) Naturally, Matthew Perry was awesome and I never realised that Zac Efron was an alright actor. :D  
**

**Donnie Darko remains simply the best movie ever though.**

**OH. I forgot - apparent there actually IS ten tailed demon in the Naruto manga called Jubi. But bear in mind, this fic was started WAAAY before this 'Gobi' appeared.**

**Yummy.. Tea and biscuits xD**

"... Blah ... " - Speech

_" ... Blah ... "_ - Thoughts, flashbacks and Bhadra.

**" ... Blah ..." - **Kyuubi and Haekeri

* * *

**Betrayal 3: Destiny's Darkness**

**Chapter Eleven: ****Nibi, the Two Tailed Cat**

**-&-**

For the past couple of weeks, it had been raining down.. _hard_.

And obviously, trekking through thick forests and sleeping on the mushy ground most nights, didn't exactly help the mood of the group. Nevertheless, Cairo acted as if he'd been through this thousands of times and stayed positively in high spirits as they edged closer to the Cloud.

Aside from Cairo, the only other one who seemed to be the most comfortable was Shu - who spent most of the day curled up in their bags and only ever ventured out when there was a chance of food.

Sakura hardly talked and whenever there was a conversation, it was mostly about trivial matters or the task that lay before them. She couldn't help but feel a little annoyed that neither Naruto nor Ashi could directly help her out - so therefore the burden fell on _her _shoulders to get rid of the demons _plus _keep everyone safe. She also couldn't help herself but to steal little glances in Naruto's direction when he was occupied, wondering if he could hear the damn fox making plans..

**You shouldn't be so suspicious. **Haekeri said softly. He was curled up in a warm corner of her mind, his yellow eyes wide with innocence. When Sakura chose to ignore this, she could see his lips curl into a smile, showing his pointed teeth. She kicked the mud moodily and refused to look up at anyone after that.

A couple of days later, they were finally across the border and now scouting the area quickly for a place that they could fight the demon cat safely. And after many effort-filled and aggravating days, Ashi returned to their makeshift camp to report that there was a large space of land, East of the Cloud village that would be perfect. So after a quick detour to inspect this spot and settle there for the night, their plan was nearly set.

"We go into the Cloud tomorrow," Cairo stated quietly and gazed into the blazing camp fire that Ashi had just produced. "As I have said before; we are on enemy territory now and as soon as they are aware that we are there to attack Yugito, they will not hold back on us," he closed his eyes. "We'll have to go through our roles now and ascertain the plan."

"Sakura and I - posed as newly weds on our honeymoon, will enter the village," Naruto reported. "As soon as it's safe and we've found out where the target is, we'll lead Yugito Nii out, and try to lead her here."

"Wait," Ashi interupted. "Nibi is going to sense both Kyuubi and Haekeri isn't he? He's also going to see them through Naruto's and Sakura's eyes. You can't pass it off as a coincidence - three demon containers in one place?"

Cairo sucked on his teeth quietly, contemplating and stared into the crackling flames.

"That is a good point. Sakura - does Haekeri have any way we can get around this?"

"No," she sighed. "Nibi is stealthy and observant. As soon as we walk into that village, he'll probably sense us and tell Yugito to escape."

"We'll need a new plan." Ashi grunted.

Cairo closed his eyes and intertwined his fingers in such a way that it reminded Sakura of Shikamaru, when he tried to concentrate on something. With a pang, she remembered all of her friends back at home and forced down the sudden nausea with a gulp.

"It looks as if Ashi and I should enter the village," Cairo decided. "We will pose as Grandfather and Grandson and find some way to get to Yugito." He looked to Ashi for clearance.

"Works for me." The Uchiha shrugged.

"So what should Sakura and I do in the meantime? If we can't get in there with you?" Naruto asked.

"I suggest you both find places to hide until Yugito enters this clearing, and then when she is distracted - come at her from different sides," Cario replied. "It may also be a help to us if you could both find some way to mask both your chakra and your demons chakra as well. There is no sure way that Nibi would still not sense it, but if it helps..."

**We'll have to practise that then.**

The conversation fell silent and Sakura stared hard into the orange flames that reminded her horribly of Kyuubi's fur. She felt guilty that for the past few days, she hadn't allowed herself to be close to Naruto, but now that the group were apparently splitting up for a little while - she _had _to find some way of being with him.. And not shying away from the evil fox at the same time.

She mentally cursed - she'd known that Naruto held the Kyuubi for years.. So why was it bothering her this much now?

_Because being close to Naruto is more dangerous now_, she thought miserably. _If Kyuubi gets wind of our goal - he'll kill Naruto._

But that was stupid. Hadn't Kyuubi already heard that they were going after all the demons already? With a small leap of her heart, Sakura realised that there may be some chance for Naruto just yet. After all, Haekeri had said that the reason why Kyuubi hadn't hurt him yet, was perhaps of Naruto's mental blocks.

**So there's still hope yet. **Haekeri answered her. **We will just have to fight my comrades one by one, take each day as it comes. When it gets tough or difficult - and you want to give up.. Well, you aren't exactly alone are you? **He arranged his scaly expression into a grin. **I'll do everything I can to make Naruto safe. If you'll just trust me.**

_I do trust you._

**Then stop worrying about it.**

_Easier said than done_. She grumbled. _But.. thanks._

"We will be leaving for the Cloud at sunrise." Cairo turned and spoke to Ashi. The young Uchiha nodded and continued to absent-mindedly bite his fingernails, from boredom or worry - Sakura couldn't tell.

"Be careful old man." Naruto chuckled.

Cairo grinned. "There is still life in me yet."

Sakura had enough and bid them a quick goodnight. She turned and spread herself out on the ground - away from the fire and the stares of her friends. Especially Naruto's gaze boring holes into her back. She feigned a yawn and drew her sleeping bag tightly around herself, squeezing her eyes tightly shut until she heard the fire being put out and her friends climbing into their identical bags.

Hardly comforted by the presence of her friends or the sleeping dragon in her mind, she couldn't help but wonder if they would all be together like this again in a few nights time.

**-&-**

When Sakura blinked open her eyes in the bitter morning light, she noticed that Ashi and Cairo had already disppeared and started their short journey towards the hidden village. She tiredly rubbed her face, feeling the sweat at the nape of her neck and on her forehead. There had been nightmares again.

"Morning."

She unconsciously groped for her kunai at the sound of the voice, until someone's hand shot out to stop it and Naruto was suddenly above her.

"A bit jumpy today, ne?" He grinned and leaned down to kiss her head, then getting up to roll away. Sakura pouted and avoided her eyes.

"Don't we have to be from now on?"

"I guess," he shrugged and shoved a soldier pill in his mouth. "Whatever happens, happens."

Sakura's eyebrows rose. "You're strangely optimistic today."

He pouted. "I'm _always _optimistic.. Anyways, there are four of us plus Shu."

Sakura sighed and raked a hand through her lanky hair. She made a mental note of finding a stream somewhere nearby so she could wash it and get the mud and grime out.

"No Naruto - only Haekeri and I are supposed to fight the.. thing." She didn't want to say 'demon' - a useless effort since Kyuubi probably already worked everything out.

He smirked. "It doesn't mean we can't get in a few punches first."

"You'd hit a girl?"

"It would depend on her.. I hit evil ones," he gulped down a couple more soldier pills and began to pack away his little possessions in his pack. "So what do you wanna do today?"

She shrugged. "Battle tactics I guess. Plus we need to work out what we're going to do when Yugito gets here and how to ambush her."

"She'll be coming from the West," he murmured. "Cairo, Ashi and Shu will have it covered - we'll have to take up positions in the North-East and South-East to even get a shot at boxing her in."

She nodded. "So then how do we know when we should ambush her? A signal wouldn't exactly work - she'd see it."

"We have demons. They'd sense her wouldn't they?"

Sakura blinked, not expecting him to bring Kyuubi into this. "I-I guess." She mumbled.

"I reckon they'd take about two or more days to get her here," Naruto continued quietly. "The old man seems like he's good with words - Ashi too.. Although I don't have any idea what the heck they're gonna say to Yugito to get her here. Geez.. It'd be a miracle if we managed to pull this off."

"And this won't be the first," Sakura pointed out as she reached for the soldier pills. "I guess we'll get plenty of practise though."

"It'd be good for helping me become Hokage to learn how to kick demon's asses," Naruto smirked. "I'd be the best kage ever!"

"The kage with the most inflated head." She teased.

After their slightly pathetic breakfast of nutrient pills, Sakura sprinted towards the calming sound of a bubbling nearby stream and quickly stripped off her clothes and slipped into the water. At first, she nearly swore a string of curses as soon as the icy water enveloped her pale skin. But after a few lengths of non-stop swimming, she was considerably warmer and washed quickly, dipping her pink locks under the surface and flicking them up again so droplets were sent sprinkling everywhere.

She quickly put on her clothes again and returned to their makeshift camp, where Naruto was shirtless and practising taijutsu on a rather damaged tree.

"That necessary?"

"Yup," he grunted. "No one else to practise on."

Sakura coughed deliberately. "Hellllo? I'm here."

Naruto stopped, mid-kick and raised his sandy eyebrows up at her. He snorted. "I'm not going to fight you, Sakura."

"And why not?" She challenged. "Scared I'll win?"

"Suuure."

"I've been training too," her voice turned smug. "I reckon I could get my fist through that thick skull of yours-.."

"Dream on," he chuckled and stopped to look her up and down. He clicked his tongue. "Ok, I'll fight you.. Don't start trying to seduce me when I win though.."

"Winner gets what they want," Sakura declared. "_Anything _they want." She raised her eyebrows suggestively and smirked.

"You're on."

Sakura grinned triumphantly and fell back into a defensive stance, slightly shaking with anticipation and excitement. She could hear Haekeri growl approvingly at the thought of a fight, his talons twitching.

As both young adults flew at each other - their minds became one as they read every predicted movement and technique. Sakura even found herself not needing to take Haekeri's advice and just focused on her instincts. Naruto did not admit it out loud, but she really _had _gotten much stronger. Even of their days in Akatsuki when they trained almost daily with Deidara - Sakura had faults. But now it seemed different. She was.. Flawless. He watched closely as she waited until the last possible second to evade every attack he threw her way. She even managed to pick the real Naruto out of about ten shadow clones. She dispersed them easily and and gracefully landed back on the mushy ground with a dull thud. He narrowed his eyes and quickly scanned her body for any scratches or cuts.. Nope.. Nothing. _How _did she get so strong?

He hissed as Kyuubi made a crude comment, the fox's cruel laughter ringing around his head. He could see Sakura frown, brush herself off and stand up straight.

"Everything alright?"

"Fine."

**Kyuubi. **Haekeri just offered as an explanation.

Sakura gave a small smile and replaced her kunai back into the pouch around her hip. She stepped forward tentively and wrapped her arms around the boy's neck, gently kissing his temples.

"We don't have to fight any more, if you don't want to."

He snorted. "We need to save our strength for the big ol' beastie anyway. Geez Sakura - you didn't even break a sweat!"

She shrugged and slid down the damaged tree, sitting on the trunk. Naruto smirked and sat beside her, tossing a glistening arm around her shoulder. She wrinkled her nose playfully and then snuggled into his chest.

"That poor woman has no idea what's going to happen to her." Sakura murmured.

"She still has a chance," Naruto reasoned. "It can go either way can't it?"

She nodded numbly. "It kind of sucks that _I _have to do it and stand the consequences.. You, Ashi, Shu and Cairo can walk away with free minds-.."

"Hey!" Naruto said sharply. "Idiot - you are _not _in this alone." He held up his left hand and fingered the wedding ring. "We're married. We're in this together."

"You make it sound so simple."

"That's because it is," he sighed. "Sakura. You've been _chosen _to do this by powers we can't even comprehend. Would you have been picked if you wern't strong enough to live up to this? Eh?"

".. No.."

"Exactly," he smiled triumphantly. "You need to deal with this - and we'll help you as much as we possibly can.. Whether Yugito or any of the others lives or dies.. Well it's their own destinies.."

Sakura caught the undertone in his voice and her head snapped up - eyes boring into his thoughtfully ones. She clenched her fists angrily.

"We aren't just talking about Yugito any more are we?"

"No." He looked as if he was hesitant to say any more but seeing Sakura increasingly get more irritated, he closed his eyes and averted his gaze to the mossy floor. "It may be _my _own destiny."

"_NO_," she snarled, her lip curling back over her teeth. "You. Will. Not. Die.. You hear me? _Do you hear me Naruto Uzumaki_?"

"We can't be sure of that," Naruto said calmly. "However - I'll do my best to stick around." His tone almost sounded bitter.

"Your _best _isn't good enough Naruto!" She hissed. "You have to promise me - PROMISE me that you'll be with me for eternity - if not longer! I will _not _lose the love of my life.. _My existence, _over something so stupid." It was blatantly obvious that an emotional outburst was the _last _thing Naruto expected. His cerulean eyes were wide with surprise and he blushed slightly and took her in his tanned arms.

"Sorry," her murmured into her hair. "I'm so sorry Sakura.. I promise with all my heart and soul - I'll live for you, alright?" He grinned. "There's nothing to worry about. We'll be together forever. I love you."

"I love you too." She sniffed and willingly stayed in the warm embrace of his arms for what felt like a very comfortable eternity.

**-&-**

It had been three days - or four? Sakura had lost count.

There had still been no word from their friends. For all she and Naruto knew, they could have been in serious trouble or worse.

_I can't keep thinking so negatively._

She's been trying to keep herself as busy as possible by training hard - sometimes with and without Naruto. Even though neither voice it aloud, she could tell by the pained expression on her love's face, that he hated it when she pushed herself too far. He wanted to take away some of the pain.

Haekeri had been sleeping a lot too - mostly due to the fact that she'd used up a lot of his chakra with her training skills. When he woke up again, he demanded that she take it easy or she'd be totally useless when the _real _battle came. She grudgingly accepted.

It was mid-morning and the weather had turned bitterly cold with rasping winds shaking their makeshift camp. Due to Kyuubi and Haekeri, both Naruto's and Sakura's temperatures worked a little higher than normal, which came in handy and kept them warm and alive. The nights were usually spent climbing into one sleeping bag together and recalling past memories of their childhoods together.

Sakura sighed and watched almost hypnotized at the dancing flames, the orange and yellow hues meshing carelessly into each other until they were completely lost. She averted her gaze to the sodden grass and began to make subtle trails with her fingernail.

Seeing a flicker in her peripheral vision, Sakura's head whipped towards the object and gritted her teeth.

"What's that?" She growled.

Naruto abandoned his daydream and followed her gaze across the clearing. His brow furrowed.

"Looks like.." His eyes grew wide. "Sakura - it's Shu!"

"Shu?" She gasped.

And sure enough, as the ferret scurried closer, she could made out his tiny dark head and his brown and tan fur. Her heart leapt into her mouth.

"SHU!" She yelled.

The ferret made a few excited-sounding squeaks and settled near the fire. His hackles were risen and his fur was in disarray. Sakura silently wondered to how long he was actually _running _to get to them..

"He's trying to tell us something." Naruto hissed and sank down onto one knee beside the animal. Sakura inched closer and adopted a grim expression.

Shu waited before opening his tiny mouth. _"They will be here soon, pink one." _

Ahh Bhadra. Sakura ignored the confused/horrified expression on Naruto's face and concentrated on the small, panting animal.

_"So Cairo and Ashi succeeded? Tell me everything." _She commanded in Bhadra.

_"They found out where she was staying_," Shu gabbled. _"Lied to her to get her to follow them out here - dunno wha' they said.. Pink one, Cairo told me to specifically tell you.. The girl-.."_

_"Yugito Nii?"  
_

_"Yeah. She can change into the cat demon at will!"  
_

Sakura gasped, her jaw falling open. _"What?"  
_

_"He said she underwent some special training years ago. She can change into the demon in a flash.. He said 'be careful'."  
_

Sakura closed her mouth and gently caressed her aching temples. How the heck could this woman be able to change into the demon at will? Without dire consequences and yet _be able _to still have control?

**It's possible**, Haekeri mused. **This 'training' she took - it must have been incredibly gruelling. She may be pretty tough to beat, Sakura.**

Sakura bit her lip hard until it began to bleed. She rose to her feet and paced around the fire - deep in her thoughts while Shu shook with cold and crawled into her sleeping bag. She was just about to ask him about Yugito, when Naruto blocked her path and stared incredulously at her.

"Excuse me," he said. "But do you mind telling me what the _hell _is going on?"

"Didn't you hear?" She said, exasperated.

"I heard you and the _rat _speaking some language - that I don't even know!" He glared. "Tell me what to think."

Right.. Bhadra.

"Well, I was speaking _Bhadra_.."

"And that is?"

"Dragon language," she sighed. "Naruto - we really don't have time for thi-.."

"Oh we do," he hissed and took her by the shoulders. "I swore I'd protect you - even if I'm not allowed to fight directly. Now your telling me you can speak this weird whole new alternate universe language and that the damn ferret can supposedly speak it too? I'm lost, honey."

She sighed. They didn't have time for this.

"Basically - they're coming," she said quietly and as calmly as she could. "Shu said so. Now if you want - we can stand here and waste time talking about this all day - or we can get prepared!"

Naruto looked as if he was about to argue, but Sakura had the most dangerous look he'd ever seen and decided to drop the subject. He'd get answers later anyway.

"Stay here Shu." She commanded the small huddle under the sleeping bag. He squeaked back in agreement.

Sakura grabbed Naruto's hand and began to run, pulling him at enormous speed towards the centre of the clearing. She could barely feel the bitter wind rushing against her face and bare arms. Adrenaline was beginning to coarse through her veins and her heart thumped loudly in her ears.

At the centre, she suddenly stopped and turned towards the confused blonde.

"Just in case this is the last time we get to talk like this-.."

"Sakura! We'll be fine!"

"Naruto," she said quietly. "Just humour me." She ripped something from around her neck and pressed it into his cold fist. Opening it, Naruto's jaw dropped. It was the small, blue crystal necklace that Tsunade had given him a decade ago.

"I remember the moment when you gave this to me," she whispered. "It's my good luck charm now. It's always been with me."

Naruto swallowed a very painful lump in his throat. "I'd forgotten about this." He admitted. "It was so long ago."

"You asked me to marry you, seconds after," her voice cracked with emotion and she looked up at him with watery eyes. "For as long as a live or die.. I'll never regret saying yes. Meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me."

Naruto pulled her into his arms at once, and kissed her. The kiss was a little frightening. There was too much tension intermingled with passion, too strong an edge to the way his lips were crushed to hers, moulded. She could tell he was afraid that they'd run out of time. There wouldn't be any goodbyes.

They broke apart for air, but stayed close as close as possible, his lips caressing her cheeks and kissing her watery eyelids. She choked back a sob and a few tears escaped. His cerulean orbs looked wet and shiny.

"I'll follow you wherever you go," he whispered against her mouth. "Life or death. I don't care."

"So chase me," she smiled. "As long as we exist. This life or the next."

She unwillingly backed away from his warm embrace and began walking to the North-East. She allowed herself one last look at the beautiful boy still standing. When she blinked, he'd already turned and was running full speed to the South.

_That may have been the last time I'll speak to him ever. Kissed his lips. Felt his arms around me._

**You'll both live through this, **Haekeri said quietly. He'd respected her enough to look away and stay silent till this moment. She could see him crouched in her mind, subdued. He could feel the utter ache emitting from her heart. The way her pulse jumped and faltered.

_I'm scared, Haekeri._

**I know. It's scary for me too.. Killing my old friends. My comrades.**

She had no idea how much time had passed by already. He pace was consistent and every step racked her body with emotional pain. Every step took her further away from.. _Him._

**Stop here. **Haekeri said finally. **We're far enough. Now we wait.**

Sakura slumped miserably against a tree trunk and slid down towards the bottom, landing in a puddle of mud which made her clothes sodden. She neither noticed nor cared. A bit of mud didn't effect the gaping black hole in her chest. The hole that was ripping her skin, muscles and bones apart. She bit her lip and brought her knees up, hugging them and curling into a ball.

She could sense that Haekeri wanted to say something that would stop her hurting or something! He stayed silent and closed his huge yellow eyes, stepping forwards to the front of her mind and staying put.

It was only then that Sakura realised she was shaking hard, her entire frame vibrating until her teeth chattered and the whole forest seemed like it was wobbling from side to side. She heard a strange ripping sound that seemed to bounce of the trees and echo all around her surroundings. With a startled gasp, she realised that these strange sounds were coming from her! Rasping sobs emitting from her mouth and shaking her entire body.

Deep down, she knew it was stupid to act like this. She and Haekeri were undoubtedly a stronger team than Nibi and Yugito - plus Naruto, Cairo, Ashi and Shu were going to be hanging around and distracting the demon cat. It would be an easy first battle and they would walk away.

So why was she so upset?

The first battle, she realised. Would that mean they'd walk away from all their demon battles totally unharmed and still living? Surely.. Someone would wind up dead and she'd have to carry the responsibility on her shoulders, for letting it happen.

Cairo, Ashi, Shu.. Naruto.

Her temporary family.

She couldn't let them fight and die. She _couldn't._

**Then we'll have to fight extra hard. **Haekeri said gently.**I promised you - I'd do everything in my power to protect them. I am not going to back out on my promise. **He grinned wolfishly. **Just think; after Nibi - we'd be one down towards our goal. Towards becoming free. Towards achieving our destiny.**

_Our destiny_, she mused. _They're both intertwined aren't they? Mine and yours?_

**Yes, the victories.. and the losses.**

Sakura felt a little warmer at that thought and roughly wiped away her tears with the back of her wrist. She eased herself out of the mud and brushed it off as best she could.

The sky above had darkened considerably. It wouldn't be long now.

_So how's this going to work? How exactly do we fight the demon?_

**The rest of the group are going at act as distractions - Nibi may be clever but he gets very stupid when opportunity presents itself. I'll release a little of my chakra to you in a similar way that Kyuubi does with his tails.**

Sakura shuddered.

**Towards the end of the fight - I'm going to need you to trust me to take over your body. **He murmured. **I need to cast the sealing technique in order to incapacitate Nibi, and then send him where he **_**belongs**_**.**

She inwardly gulped. A demon controlling her? Regardless that Haekeri was the good guy in the situation - the thought still terrified her. He nodded in her mind.

**It's natural to be scared - especially after seeing Naruto becoming victim of it so many times.. **Haekeri opened his huge jaws as if to say more, but he snapped it shut again and raised his snout, his yellowish eyes narrowed. Sakura was just about to ask what was wrong, when the dragon reared up to his full height and paced to the front of her conciousness. She could feel him inch as close as he could and squeeze into her whole body. She could feel his eyes looking through her own emerald ones.

**It's time. **He growled.

A rush of adrenaline caught Sakura and she shot forward like a bullet back to the way they'd come. The trees seemed to peel away and melt into the background - a rush of green like a blue to her eyes. With Haekeri so close to her consciousness - her sense of smell was considerably heightened and her eyesight better. If she really concentrated - she could pick out every single hue of the passing leaves and identify the insects crawling on the trunks. But there wasn't time to fully embrace it.

**Do you hear that? **The dragon snapped.

Sakura grimaced. There were sounds of a metallic screech and far away thunderclaps that Sakura could only guess were growls and roars.

"Naruto.." She choked.

**Fighting. **Haekeri snarled. **We need to get there quicker. **A strange floaty feeling overcame Sakura, as her legs were suddenly acting of their own accord, propelling her way faster than she'd ever gone. With a small smirk, Haekeri said; **I'd get us there quicker.**

The sounds got louder - they were almost to the clearing. Pushing haphazardly through the last of the thick forest, Sakura's body was forced into the air and she quickly scanned the ground for a quick update.

Sakura uttered a low cry.

Down below, there was a huge blue and purple object running at high speed, dodging attacks that an old man, a black haired boy and a blonde man were inflicting..

As Sakura landed swiftly, merely twenty paces away, she could clearly see the full extent of the cat's power. He turned his one yellow and one gleaming green eye towards her tiny frame, his smirk stretching out across his face at the size comparison between them. He raked his claws along the ground - the source of the metallic screeches, and turned towards the girl.

Out of nowhere, a flash of yellow collided with the side of the animal's huge head and sent it half sprawled to the ground, Sakura had to dodge quickly to avoid the spray of mud and dirt.

"Nice to see you Sakura!" Cairo called cheerfully and brandished a pointy sword.

**Sakura? **Haekeri asked.

_Yes. _She didn't even need to hear the question - she could already see the dragon hunched in anticipation in her mind. He grinned wolfishly at her answer and nodded.

Her body temperature began to rise and a the sounds of ripping filled the air as bits of her clothes fell to the ground. She felt her lips being pulled back into an ugly snarl and a growl escaped from her pointed teeth. She could feel the chakra engulfing every cell in her body, as they gladly gave into the demon's control and responded to the new found power. Somewhere behind her, she could feel the swishing of air as one pointed tail wound it's tendrils around her body. She hunched to the ground, prepared to leap, her clawed hands and feet itching to rip into Nibi's throat..

Jeez, when did she get so bloodthirsty?

Sakura felt herself be pushed to the back of her mind, gladly being the one to watch as Haekeri let out a hysterical cackle at the cat staring fearfully at her.

"You," the demon roared. "YOU.. You have found me."

"Yes," Haekeri said, his tone caused Sakura's voice to become somewhat more manly. "I was biding my time, waiting for my vengeance."

Nibi snorted. "The vengeance of a fallen king," he taunted and shook his fiery blue head. "The King wants his kingdom back, ne?"

"Damn right," Haekeri smirked. "I'm sending you back where you came from.. For good."

Nibi let out a huge giggle, writhing on the muddy floor, his body racked with laughter. "You're.. _Sending _me back?" Nibi composed himself and raised up to full height again. He cast a look at Naruto, Ashi and Cairo - looking fearfully at the scene before them. "And I suppose the mightly Haekeri has his army of humans to defend him?" His lips tugged up at the sides for a second.

"Indeed. Weak or not - you aren't a match for them."

Nibi's jaw dropped. "For _them_? Thin-skinned little parasites who feed off of our power? I see time has made you insane, master."

"Speaking of time," Haekeri grimaced, "It's almost over for you. Any last words?"

"Do not worry," Nibi smirked and spat on the floor. "I'll etch them onto your gravestone when I'm done with you."

Haekeri wasted no time and leaped at the giant feline, only veering off to the left with Nibi attempted to swipe Sakura's body with his huge claw. Haekeri roll-barrelled in mid air and doubled back, aiming for the cat's unprotected flanks. Nibi was all too alert and managed to skip happily out of their way, nearly striking them with his tails.

Sakura had never seen anything like it.

Two creatures - meeting like this after who knew how many decades - both with such a strong urge to kill each other that the whole clearing was filled with this murderous intent. If not for her friends and Haekeri keeping her sane, she would seriously contemplate taking her own life, just to get away from this horrible atmosphere.

Sakura tried not to move or talk much - Haekeri was concentrating and after all, it would be _her _body that would suffer the dire consequences.. She desperately kept looking to the right to see her friends safely on the sidelines - only able to stare and gawk at this moment. With every kick and swipe that came too close for comfort - she could see Naruto visibly flinch and clench his knuckles.

_Don't join in. Don't join in. _She silently pleaded.

Her breath was suddenly knocked clean out of her lungs and she found herself hurtling into the sky like a human rocket. Down below, she could here Naruto worriedly roaring her name and cursing. Sakura let out a small yelp and looked down to find a long gash in her leg - one of Nibi's long claws protruding out from her thigh.

**Sorry**, Haekeri growled. **Damn cat. OUCH. **As the wind swept by them and gravity started to pull again, Haekeri had seized the broken claw and tugged it roughly from the flesh - sending blood spurting everywhere. She felt dizzy at the sudden rush of scarlet.

Wondering why Nibi hadn't suddenly joined them in the air to slice them to ribbons, Sakura glanced down to see the damn cat crouched patiently on the ground. He opened his huge jaws and intimidatingly pointed teeth - there was a small orb of light within the back of his throat.. Growing lighter..

Haekeri almost lost the whole of Sakura's left side as he rushed off to the side - painfully close avoiding the rush of heat that the fireball gave off. He stood panting for a few seconds and forced some chakra to Sakura's fist. He forced it into the sodden earth and sent a wave of destruction towards Nibi. Who of course, danced out of the way.

Haekeri landed them swiftly on a nearby tree and had to sink to her knee - her whole leg was covered in crimson.

**Don't focus on the blood, **Haekeri grimaced. **It looks worse than it actually is. We heal fast.**

_I'll take your word for that.. _She muttered.

Sending a rush of chakra to Sakura's feet, Haekeri shot forwards and rammed hard into Nibi's side. Nibi swore loudly and tried to crush them with his weight, ducking his huge head to the left and rearing up onto his hind legs, only to come crashing to the ground and sending a wave of mud their way.

"YUGITO NII," Haekeri roared and avoided Nibi's snapping jaws. "Regain your control! I don't particularity have any desire to attack either your or your village!"

"She says; 'BULL'," Nibi giggled. "Me and her - we're a team." And in a flash, Nibi had bounded up to them, and with a sick smile and a last laugh, Nibi skidded behind and caught Sakura's body between his two mighty claws.

"Got ya." He chuckled.


	12. The First Triumph

**Ahhh my updating every Sunday thing seems to be going quite well :) Now only if I can actively keep up with my schoolwork like this, it'll be so perfect..**

By the way! Since this the second chapter that I've managed to crank out in the same weekend, they'll be no B3 update next week :3

"... Blah ... " - Speech

_" ... Blah ... "_ - Thoughts, flashbacks and Bhadra.

**" ... Blah ..." - **Kyuubi and Haekeri

* * *

**Betrayal 3: Destiny's Darkness**

**Chapter Twelve: ****The First Triumph**

**-&-**

_It won't end like this._

_It can't end like this._

_..._

_Can it?_

It was like everything had turned into a tacky slow motion film. On one hand, there was a giant, two-tailed purple and blue cat, holding a flailing pink-haired girl in his claws. A body that another demon seemed to be controlling.

It was like a bad nightmare.

And no matter how much Nibi squeezed his claws tighter together and blocked out Sakura's and Haekeri's much needed air supply.. She did not wake up from this dream. Which left the only conclusion; this _was_ reality.

And damn, she was dying.

Nibi's cackles seemed to be reverberating around her brain like a buzz of angry bees. What's worse was that Haekeri was in control and that she couldn't _do _anything. Not that she'd do any better at escaping at Haekeri though.. It just felt as it she was letting herself die.

Violent black spots appeared in her vision as her lungs gasped and struggled.

She heard raised voices - were they even raised? She couldn't tell it from the white noise in her ears. She supposed Naruto was cursing every word in the book.

_Whatever, just end it already._

She guessed that just the same in tacky books and movies - the villain would want to drag out the deaths.

_Haekeri? _Her mind whispered into the coming blackness.

**I know - I'm trying. **Haekeri struggled. **I refuse to go down like this.**

He stopped struggling uselessly and for a split second, Sakura wondered if this was because he wanted to die. She abandoned this train of thought instantly as she felt the small trickle of chakra begin to reverberate around her body.

Haekeri seemed to be sending as much chakra as he could to all the chakra gates in her body. As he increased the flow, Sakura's skin prickled with a mixture of heat and unpleasantness, it felt as if someone had like a fire under her skin that burned hotter and hotter.

But still, the dragon concentrated and smirked as the chakra burned even hotter. Nibi stopped stopped trying to crush them to pieces and frowned. Sakura could hear the small sizzling as her skin connected with Nibi's paws and began to scorch them. Sakura forced herself not to scream out and endured the heat. Nibi snarled and his lips pulled back in a grimace. He snatched his claws back and leaped back on his hind legs to nurse his claws. But that was all Haekeri needed.

Before hitting the ground, Haekeri turned sharply on his heel and shot towards the injured monster. He brought out one of Sakura's kunai in each hand, and slashed deeply into Nibi's exposed throat.

The noise was unbelievable.

Nibi screamed in pain and fell heavily, sending up another shower of mud and dirt, blood spouted out of his throat like a fountain and covered the area. He writhed in pure pain and heaved his gigantic body from side to side.

**It's not over yet. **Haekeri thought grimly. As Sakura's rush of hope died, she realised that wounding Nibi was the _easy _part.

Now they had to extract him.

_HAEKERI! _Sakura whispered. _Tell Naruto to go! I don't want him to see this! Please.. Please._

He contemplated this. **Perhaps that would be the best idea. Kyuubi can only see so much..**

He whipped his head to the left and addressed the waiting group. "CAIRO - TAKE THE OTHERS TO A SAFE PLACE NEARBY. WE'LL JOIN YOU SOON!"

Sakura faded backwards into her mind and refused to listen to her husband's futile arguments in reply. She assumed both Ashi and Cairo had him under one arm, dragging him away into the thick forest. It was a while before she could hear Naruto no more.

Haekeri turned back to the situation and paced closer to where Nibi lay, glaring hatefully up at them.

"Can't.. Wait till.. Kyu..Bi sinks his teeth.. Into you.." The cat growled.

Haekeri kept Sakura's face devoid of emotion. He bent down and prodded the side of the animal's huge heaving belly.

_"Ruler, ruler. Take back thee," _he whispered in Bhadra. His voice gained a new authoritative element that caused Nibi to gasp and have his will held against him. Haekeri stared him down, coldly. _"I command you, to disappear from whence you came. Never show your face, your discoloured lenses or your two tails again.. Nibi no Nekomata."  
_

Haekeri stepped back quickly and made a peculiar hand-sign that Sakura hadn't come across before. He laced her fingers together and brought both thumbs up to the top, both little fingers sticking out daintily.

Nibi made one last-half attempt to lunge at them, but as he stopped, his body began shaking uncontrollably, every limb creaking with effort and his bluey skin turning a horrible shade of puce. Haekeri swiftly leapt back a few metres and Sakura watched in a mixture of horror and awe as the ground seemed to open up beneath them. Long black, tendrils roe up from the cracks and wrapped relentlessly around the cat monster. The harder he struggled, the harder they gripped to him until he was roaring in pain once again.

Haekeri made another hand sign and chakra strings shot out from Sakura's fingertips. The chakra was bright crimson and pulsating slightly under the power. He brought the strings to the descending cat and they ripped deep, into his skull.

Another terrible scream.

Nibi's body was almost completely dragged into the ground - the cracks in the ground were already starting to come back together again and the black hole was getting smaller. Sakura turned her attention back to the chakra strings embedded in Nibi's skull again. She could feel Haekeri grunt with effort as he latched onto something and begin to yank it back out. With a leap of her heart, Sakura saw a blonde girl begin to emerge from the skull.

_Yugito Nii.._

Yugito's body was limp. Unconscious. One last yell from the cat and he was completely submerged and the ground fixed and back to its usual state.

**He's in for some eternal torture in hell. **Haekeri said quietly. Smugness radiated from every scale in his body.

Haekeri cut the chakra strings and Yugito Nii landed with a soft thump on the damp grass. With a small grateful smile, Haekeri stepped back into Sakura's mind again and relinquished his control. Sakura took a few moments to steady herself. Flexing her fingers and ignoring the deep wound in her leg that the claw had inflicted. She was shivering again. Mostly in shock of what she'd just witnessed. Yugito lay motionless.

**Check to see if she is okay. **Haekeri yawned and curled up into a ball at the back of her mind, his ten tails swishing tiredly.

Sakura forced the hysteria back down her throat and crawled on hands and knees towards the ex-host. Sakura felt numb and devoid of _any _feeling. The cold from the ground had seeped into her wounds and her skin. Her heart throbbed painfully and there were black spots dancing before her eyes.

"Y-Y-Yugito.. Nii?"

She reached the girl - barely older than herself and gently tried to shake her awake. The girl's eyelids quivered a few seconds, before opening them to reveal a beautiful pair of dark eyes.

"Where.. Am I?" She whispered uncertainly. She slowly sat up and rested her head on a hand. She suddenly remembered Sakura and looked widly around the area. Sakura shivered and pulled her face into what she hoped, looked like a kind one.

"It's over." Sakura whispered and rose slowly to her feet. "He's gone now."

**-&-**

"... Think she'll wake up?"

"... She has been out of it all day, Naruto. She was probably exhausted..."

"... Yeah but _still _..."

Sakura growled and brought what felt like her sleeping bag - closer to her face and tried to drown out those annoying voices that she couldn't be bothered to identify.

Everything _ached._

Understatement. It felt as if some psycho with a huge axe decided to come along and chop her into little pieces and try to cellotape them back together again. She could feel the itchy bandage strapped around her left leg. Which ultimately meant she'd passed out the last night, before having a chance to heal herself.

Haekeri stirred in his slumber.

"How was Yugito this morning, Ashi?"

"She was fine," he paused. "That girl is surprisingly adaptive. Even when she took off back to her village this morning, she was focused and aware of everything.." He trailed off and someone noisily adjusted their position in their sleeping bag.

"Sounds like someone has a crush," Naruto muttered. "She was probably afraid you'd force yourself onto her.."

"I'm not _you_." The Uchiha retorted coolly. Someone snorted.

"You both will end up waking her." Cairo said gently. The conversation went quiet and Sakura could feel the stares bore into her back. She cringed silently and snuggled deeper into her sleep, wishing they'd shut up.

"Hey.." Naruto began, his tone was serious. "Anyone wanna tell me why we couldn't stay to see the extraction?" There was an uncomfortable silence. Cairo coughed.

"You cannot answer that yourself?"

"I can. She was trying to protect me.. Wasn't she? She didn't _want _me to see the demon get.. Extracted. That's why she told us to run."

Cairo grunted. "Technically it was Haekeri who told us to escape - he was controlling Sakura's body while she took a 'back seat'.. As it were.. But no doubt, it was Sakura who told him to pass the message along."

Naruto growled and said nothing.

"Can't you see it from her point of view?" Ashi lowered his voice. "If you both were in each other's shoes.. You'd do the same."

"You sound so confident on that."

"I am."

Naruto growled again. He knew that Ashi was right.

"She is terrified enough as it is," Cairo whispered. "She hates the thought of fighting Naruto so much - she will not even think about it for more than a second." They fell silent again, no doubt staring at her. Sakura forced her eyelids to stay closed - her heart thumping painfully in her ears.

"But it's going to happen-.."

"_Shut up_, Ashi."

Cairo sighed sadly. "She centres herself around you, Naruto. It is easy even for a blind man to sense, that she devotes her entire existence - mind, body and soul to you. As you know," he chose his words carefully. "You will both _have _to uh.. Fight in the end. It's the only way to end this mess and get rid of your burden. As Sakura witnessed yesterday - extracting is a hard process and can easily cause the death of the host. Nibi and Yugito were the easiest. It will undoubtedly becoming more difficult."

".. I know," Naruto's voice became strained. "I'd give myself up for her in a heartbeat.. I'm just.. Worried about what it will do to her mentally, y'know? When she gets stressed - she doesn't usually let it out, no matter how many times I've told her to tell me.. She's a martyr. Doesn't care about herself at all."

"And when you, Sakura and Sasuke came looking for me. She had a breakdown didn't she?" Ashi whispered.

"... Yeah."

Sakura's chest was now thumping so loudly - she was _sure _that her friends would hear it. She blocked the unpleasant memory of five years ago, from her mind and concentrated on the thought of punching Naruto later on - for being so _sure _that he'd give his life up for her.. Damn selfless bas-...

"I even thought of distancing myself from her," Naruto admitted. "In hope that I'd hurt her so much - she'd have no problem fighting me.. I didn't think of it any more though. I'm selfish enough to keep her for myself. Besides, I'd probably kill myself after hurting her that much."

Sakura shook silently with anger. He thought of himself as _Selfish_? Seriously? With silent dread - she tried to imagine herself without being with Naruto. Being half a person.. Half a soul. the thought terrified her.

"We will have to watch her," sighed Cairo. "The last thing we want, is for Sakura to over-exert herself and lose control."

"Do you think she'll be okay when she wakes up?" Ashi questioned.

"I do not know," the old man said. "She looked.. Ghostly when she returned to camp with Yugito Nii trailing behind."

"I have faith in Sakura." Naruto said confidently.

"She still may-.."

"I said _shut up _Ashi. I think I know my best friend enough to tell that she'll pull through this," he paused. "She's been through worse.. Like when.. When her parents died."

There was a small intake of breath, but Sakura couldn't tell who it was from. She squeezed her eyes shut tighter and repressed the urge to start sobbing.

"Her.. Parents died?"

"KIA," Naruto whispered. "She was twelve at the time. Wouldn't talk for weeks." His voice was laced with pain and there were sounds of him shuffling closer and gently raking his hand through her hair. A shiver ran down her spine.

There was a another sigh and someone doused the crackling flames of the campire out with water. It crackled and sloshed and died out. Sleeping bags were being dragged around and Sakura felt Naruto slide himself into hers and wind an arm around her waist, his lips silently kissing her neck and tracing her shoulder.

"In the morning, we will set off for our next target." Cairo's voice floated from somewhere near the ground.

Someone grunted in reply. Presumably Ashi.

Still feigning her deep sleep, Sakura turned and intertwined herself with Naruto. He placed his mouth on her own for a second and smiled against her forehead. She inhaled the ramen and pine cone scent of him and pressed her hands unconsciously against the hard stomach under his netted shirt.

_So warm._ She thought sleepily and gratefully let the darkness claim her once again.


	13. Another Lead

**Squeeee :D I'm so hyper tonight it's unbelieveable. Ooh half term is coming up pretty soon, so I'll have a totally free week off college and if they don't set too much work, I'll also have a lot of time to write :) I've drawn up a quick estimate of the chapters to come and am happy to announce that roughly the 9th of May 2010, I **_**should **_**be finished with this fic and the whole **_**Betrayal**_** series! Yaaay!**

**So I'll do my best to stick to my writing scheduale and achieve this goal (:**

"... Blah ... " - Speech

_" ... Blah ... "_ - Thoughts, flashbacks and Bhadra.

**" ... Blah ..." - **Kyuubi and Haekeri

* * *

**Betrayal 3: Destiny's Darkness**

**Chapter Thirteen: ****Another Lead**

**-&-**

The very moment she'd woken up the next morning, Sakura shared a long passionate kiss with a very surprised Naruto and giggled at his expression. She was considerably in high spirits after having such a long sleep and gathering back her chakra again. In the mind, Haekeri was wide awake and alert observing every action. Although when she'd kissed Naruto, the dragon had coincidently been more interested in sharpening his claws.

Even though no one asked, Sakura could sense their suspicion and curiosity at her positive behaviour. When they were packing up the small camp, she ignored the small glances they shot her way.

And Sakura gave no hint that she'd overheard their conversation the night before.

"One demon down!" She said brightly to an array of confused looks. Cairo gave a beaming smile and nodded.

"We are onto the three tails next - by the way, are you okay to travel Sakura?" He gave her left leg a concerned look. "That claw got you pretty deep-.."

"I'm fine," she assured him. "I healed myself as soon as I woke up. Plus with Haekeri's chakra, I heal even easier anyway." She shrugged and shouldered her travelling pack.

Cairo nodded. "That is excellent news. Our next stop is the Mist village. Our target is currently a missing nin and we may encounter those who are hunting him. His whereabouts are not exactly known, but we can start at his former home and work from there."

"Sounds good." Sakura grinned. She intertwined her fingers with Naruto's.

As they set off for the next target, Cairo estimated that it would take about three or four days just to reach the coast, and then they would have to take a barge outwards to the Mist village.

Sakura tried to keep her irritation secret as she ignored the looks being sent her way once again. She didn't understand it - was it so bad to be optimistic after their first victory?

**They're just worried about you. They thought the fight with the two tails may have been traumatic for you and now you're trying to hide it with optimism.**

_But I'm not! I'm actually happy!_

**I know, but they are not in your mind are they? Think about it from their point of view Sakura - they're probably thinking that you're purposely blocking things out, not accepting them.**

She inwardly sighed. _They don't have a very high opinion of my strengths do they? _In truth she didn't even need to ask that, she'd already gotten everything from last night's whispered conversation..

Nevertheless, to set the group more at ease, Sakura let her good mood slip a little and acted more quiet, and it worked. By the time they'd trekked through acres of muddy and wet forest, the group were laughing easily and in high spirits. Even in her mind, Haekeri had become more alert and observing the area around them. In small villages where they rarely found an inn to stay at, they remembered to not stare at anybody and keep their heads down. From the pained expressions on Naruto's face, every time they had to do this, Sakura could tell that it bothered him that he could not wear his headband proudly. She could fell the weight of her own headband, lugging in her small bag. But it was necessary. This way, they wouldn't be found so easily by enemy nin and bounty hunters.

They were finally back into the Fire Country again and moving at a brisk pace - never staying anywhere for too long. Sakura tried not to think about their proximity to Konoha and how they wouldn't be able to return for a long, long time. She banished her thoughts of her friends, her master and her favourite places and concentrated on walking in a straight line.

Naruto squeezed her hand gently. At least _he _could relate to her.

Cairo directed them to a coastal resort called Port City, which bordered the Fire country. Sakura racked her brain and tried to remember of a time in her earlier career, when they might have travelled here on a mission - it would be more useful if they had a brief idea of where everything was.

"Never been here." Naruto muttered.

"Really?" Turned to him as the group entered the city gates and slowed their pace.

"Yeah," he nodded and glanced around at the tall business buildings. "I don't remember this place anyway. Do you?"

"No." She sighed.

Cairo shrugged his shoulders. "It does not matter anyway," he said softly. "We will need to find the barge to the Mist as quickly as we can."

"Split up?" Ashi suggested.

Cairo's face wrinkled. "I do not like that idea very much - but it may be the quickest way to do this.."

They walked a few more steps and stopped at a huge marble fountain. A handsome rhinestone horse was reared on its heavily muscled back legs and rearing high into the air, water spouted out of its parted jaws and cascaded back into the clear shallow pool at its feet. Sakura managed to tear her gaze away from the magnificent fountain and glance at her companions.

"If we split up," she said slowly. "We'll have to all meet back at a set time and report what we have or haven't found."

"We can meet back here," Ashi nodded to the fountain. "It's easy to find."

"In that case, Ashi and Shu come with me, and Sakura and Naruto - you go together," Cairo pointed to them each in turn. "We will meet at dusk back in this spot - four hours we have to look for the port and then for the correct barge to the Mist."

"No problem." Naruto said confidently.

They both said goodbye to their friends and began heading off in the other direction. Sakura started to feel more free and light-hearted. She loved her friends but with just her and Naruto - it was like old times again. No demon business included.

Cairo had also given them a little money so they could get something to eat while they walked. She had odango and of course, Naruto had ramen.

"You know what Sasuke said before he left. 'Stop eating that ramen crap.'" She teased.

He grinned. "But that wouldn't be the man you married."

"No," she smiled. "There would be no Naruto without no ramen, right?"

"Damn straight."

Sakura couldn't help but admire the tall buildings slowly pass them by. Most of them were handsomely built in the same manner as the gorgeous fountain. Gazing upwards, Sakura could see the spotless glass windows glinting in the late afternoon sunlight. Even the citizens were almost as beautiful as the city. Sakura gazed at their amazingly detailed clothes and faces as they sauntered by on their daily errands. She couldn't help but feel a little plain next to these beautiful golden-haired gods and goddesses. Of course, Naruto would fit right into them..

"Idiot," Naruto muttered and read her mind. "You're obviously the most beautiful thing here."

She gave a small smiled and tugged on his hand. "You _have _to say that.. You're my husband."

"I'm saying it because you're the love of my life," he turned and gave her a gorgeous smile. "I don't even see their faces." He pointed discreetly towards a large group of devastatingly beautiful women. "I only see you, Sakura."

She blushed and averted her gaze to the ground. Even without looking, she could sense the smugness radiating out of Naruto's body. He loved to make her blush.

They made their way to the direction in where Naruto supposed the docks would be. Sakura was sad that they couldn't spend more time looking around Port city and the beautiful landmarks. She made a mental note to annoy Naruto until he brought her here for their next anniversary.

A strong stench of fish invaded their noses and they coughed and spluttered - completely bypassing the fish market and heading on down flights of wooden steps towards the sound of the crashing waves.

Cutting down an alleyway and past a corner of a grey concrete building, Sakura stopped in her tracks and gaped - open mouthed at the scene before her.

The sky had turned a dark shade of orange and yellow, meshing into the sea on the far horizon and turning the calm water a light shade of purple. The were hundreds of boats swaying silently in the docks as the tide came up and caused them to move like silent ghosts against the sky. There was a long, wooden pier heading deep out into the ocean and water reeds fringing it either side. Sakura couldn't quite describe it, but looking out into the endless horizon, she got a feeling deep in her heart that she could accomplish anything. This peculiar warm feeling filled her whole body from head to toe and she couldn't help but casting a glance to the gorgeous boy beside her and flashing a smile. He smirked and wound an arm around her waist, dipping in to kiss her forehead.

"You want to live here now, don't you?"

"I'm thinking about it," she admitted and stared back out at the ocean again, letting the small breeze ruffle her hair. "I mean, we'll have to retire one day, right?"

"And we're still close to home," he murmured. "Yeah, I can see it."

She frowned. "See what?"

He grinned impishly. "Spending the rest of our lives here."

"You wouldn't get bored? Would the elders let you live here when you become Hokage?"

He snorted. "Those ancient sacks of skin and bones wouldn't be able to _stop _me." He flexed his muscles and smirked.

"Then I'll look forward to it then," she said. "_If _we make it through this alive."

"_When _we make it through this alive." Naruto grabbed her hand and they descended down yet another flight of wooden steps and down onto the docks. They began to spread out and scan the docked boats and barges for any sign of one that could help them. Sakura took a left down a row of house boats and impatiently scanned the boat names. She clicked her tongue loudly when she couldn't find any sign of one that carried passengers. She took a right this time, her feet knocking loudly on the rickety boards suspended above the water. She'd already lost Naruto a while ago on one of the many rows.

She took one last turn into a row farthest out to see and let her eyes roam the vessels. She could see Haekeri push forwards in her mind and help her.

Her glance fell on a small sign at the end of the row.

"_Boat Bus - Kirigakure no Sato_." She bent down and read the peeling handwriting. "Hey - that's the Mist village isn't it?"

**Yes**, Haekeri replied. **It doesn't seem as if anyone is around though.**

Sakura straightened up and stared at the small barge tied to the sign. At the front, was a small cabin with tinted windows and a few silver decorations and wind chimes. Towards the back, the surface was completely flat and fenced around with dark twisted metal. There seemed to be a few cargo tanks tied securely to the fence.

She took a tentative step from the dock onto the barge and listened quietly for any noise, there seemed to be none, only the silent waves rocking the boat from side to side.

_I don't like this. _

**Nor do I.**

She clenched her teeth and proceeded to the small cabin. She grasped the silver handles and tried to tug the door open. It was all but welded shut. Sakura cupped her hands to the tinted windows and tried to see the inside.

She was just about to give up and head off to find Naruto again, when a hand suddenly darted out from the darkness behind the cabin door, grasped her throat and yanked her to the ground. Sakura gasped in surprised and lost her precious oxygen. The hand was pressing down hard on her windpipe and gasping for air was only making it worse. Her heart was throbbing painfully and her hands were darting out behind her in hope of punching the assailant. No luck. He or she only increased their grip and making her see black spots.

She was suddenly pushed out of the way and sent sprawling onto the rocking planks. She spent a few moments catching her breath until her heartbeat resumed normally again. She glared up to where she had been strangled moments before.

"Naruto?!"

The blonde was staring down worriedly at her. His pupils were crimson and dilated. Fangs were sticking out from the corners of his set mouth. Sakura noticed that he had his fist around the throat of a huddled figure. The figure's eyes were popping out of their sockets and eminating croaking sounds.

"What happened?" She demanded.

"_This_," Naruto nodded towards the figure. "Was strangling you. I only got here just in time." He growled and pushed the figure to the floor, helping Sakura up and angling his body so he was in front of her. Sakura grasped onto the back of Naruto's shirt and glared at the small man wriggling on the ground and slowly raising himself onto his feet. He stared at Naruto, weary.

"You wanna explain why you were trying to kill my wife?"

The man stared-wide eyed. "Y-Your wife?"

"That's what I said." Naruto growled. Sakura gently placed her hands on the back of his shaking arm and whispered; "Please calm down!"

The man seemed to regain his composure and stared eye-to-eye at Naruto. He wore a long brown coat that was now filthy from where Naruto had pushed him down. He wore a dark shirt with a crimson waistcoat and silver buttons and a pair of soft brown shoes. He proceeded to brush himself down.

"Forgive me," he turned to Sakura and bowed. "I get a lot of common thugs trying to steal my barge. I have to try and protect it, you realise.."

Naruto narrowed his eyes and took a step to the right. "Does she honestly look like a common thug to you?"

The man smiled and shook his head. "I knew something was not right," he said. "None of the other thugs I've faced looked as lovely as your wife does-.." He looked as if he wanted to say something else, but one glance as Naruto's hostile posture, silenced him.

Sakura sighed deeply and rubbed her forehead. She stepped in front of Naruto and faced the man.

"Forget about it, honest mistake," she said and pointed towards the sign on the dock. "You can take people to the hidden Mist village?"

The man looked uneasy. "Yeah." He said unhappily.

She smiled sweetly. "Will you take us and a few others? We're in a bit of a hurry - no time to find another boat."

"Sorry," he said flatly. "Not a lot of boats are heading out there. There's a bit of tension between the Mizukage and the resident ninja. The mainland doesn't really want to get involved with it."

"Tension?" Grunted Naruto.

The man nodded. "The Mizukage is upset. The three tails has gone missing."

At the mention of the demon, Sakura couldn't tell if he'd noticed both her and Naruto visably pale and go still. She could hear Haekeri's growls ring painfully around her head. The dragon hunched in a ball and was lost deep in thought.

**Ask him for information**, the demon ordered. **Do NOT let him know that we are hunting for the three tails. We can't risk the Mizukage finding out that we're after it. It could range out into a full-scale war if then, he was to find out that you're from the Leaf.**

"Three tails?" Sakura asked as innocent as she could. She arranged her face into a curious expression. She could feel Naruto watching her, slowly catching on.

The man shuddered. "You should know the tale, right?"

Sakura pouted and shook her head. "In the Tea country - we don't have those sorts of myths and legends."

"Tea country," the man said slowly. "Whereabouts did you guys come from? I had a friend who used to live there."

Sakura's heart plummeted.

"The very edge - Jiro's island," she lied quickly and hoped her face matched. "My husband and I," she gestured to Naruto. "Lived on a small farm out there - selling out produce to the mainland. I got a message one day, saying my cousin was very ill," Sakura gave a sad smile. "And that's why we have to travel to the Mist village now. I'd like to see my cousin the last time before she may die."

The man sucked his teeth gently and contemplated Sakura's answer. She kept a poker face with a hint of hopefulness that she hoped he'd see. The man sighed finally and nodded his head.

"Alright, I'll take you."

Sakura's face exploded with happiness and she nodded triumphantly.

"Ah thank you very much, Mr.."

"Yakamichi," he replied unhappily. "Nobu Yakamichi."

**-&-**

Sakura tossed and turned in her sleeping bag. In any position she slept, she could feel the inside of the sleeping bag stick unplesantly to her burning skin. She could feel Naruto in silent laughter next to her, he only had a pair of thin trousers on in this extremely warm night.

"Sleep naked." He suggested softly.

"You'd molest me." She snorted.

"And?" He smirked wickedly and traced her abdomen with his finger. "I doubt you'd say no."

She sat up in the sleeping bag and rested an arm on her leg. The cabin was too hot for words and not even opening the small pothole window, to let in the sea breeze, did much help. The small room was pitch black and the only light was emitting from the window. Outside, the sea passed them by silently.

There was a small sigh from beside her and Naruto had sat up and slung an arm around her shoulders. She smiled and softly pressed her lips against his. She broke apart for air and gently traced his delicate cheekbones in the blackness. Together, they sank back down onto the small bed again.

"Stop worrying." He whispered against her neck and began placing kisses on her jawline.

"I'm not. I'm just bored of this boat. And Nobu flashing me flirtatious smiles every so often." The moment those words were out of her mouth and she felt Naruto's frame stiffen, she smiled and placed her hands on his chest.

"At least we get there tomorrow." She sighed. "I wonder how hard it will be to track the three tails down?

"The host - Yagura, is a missing nin," Naruto said thoughtfully. "I'm guessing it'll be like trying to find a demon in a huge haystack."

Eventually - Sakura didn't know when - both she and Naruto had fallen asleep and the next morning, were awakened by the sound of Ashi's impatient tapping on their cabin door. They both got up groggily and dressed quickly in the little dawn light and blundered out into the wooden hallway, where the rest of the group were waiting.

"We are nearly there," Cairo informed them quietly. "Nobu recommends that we spend as less time as possible docking. With the Mizuage becoming restless and suspecting everyone of hiding the three-tails, I doubt he would be happy with foreigners."

After a quick breakfast and a freezing cold wash, the group headed out onto the barge exterior and Nobu exited the deck cabin, whistling tunelessly and getting ready to dock. He spotted them - particular Naruto, and managed to trip up while hauling out the rope.

Sakura paced over to the twisted fence and gazed over at the dark water below. She shivered, glad to not be swimming in it instead.

From here, she could see the docks and the town of the Mist village up ahead - although not as nice as the one back at the Port City. Nobu stepped back into the deck cabin and brought the small vessel in between two small rows and he hurried onto the planks and expertly tied the rope in place. He ushered the group onto the dock and scratched his head sheepishly.

"I promised myself I wouldn't sail over here again for a while," he sighed. "You wouldn't be needing me again for a trip back, would you?" He eyed them worriedly.

"No, I should think not," Cairo laughed amusedly. "We will find someone else. Your job is done here."

Nobu breathed a sigh of relief and took one last fleeting look at Sakura. He untied the rope again and leaped back down onto the barge. With a quick dismissive wave, he retreated into the deck cabin and began sailing backwards and onto the mainland.

Cairo clapped his hands enthusiastically. "Shall we?" He gestured to the long pier and the concrete steps leading up into the town. They hurried quickly across the rotten wooden walkway and approached the staircase.

Naruto was deep in thought.

"What are you thinking about?" Ashi asked.

"Memories," Naruto grunted and he looked pointedly at Sakura. "Did _you _remember that Zabuza and Haku came from this village?"

"Zabuza and Haku?"

"Yeah, our first major mission as Genin - not including all that crappy D ranked stuff that the old man Hokage gave us."

"I remember." She said softly and let the memories of the increasingly long battles with the two men flood her mind. One thing she would always remember, was that look Zabuza had, when he realised that Haku had been killed. It would undoubtedly haunt her forever.

"Kisame," she said suddenly. "Kisame Hoshigaki came from here too - one of the legendary seven swordsmen."

Cairo nodded. "You are well informed. Did you know him personally from your time in the Akatsuki?"

Sakura hid her surprise. She'd never fully talked about her past with Cairo or Ashi like this. In truth, it made her feel slightly uncomfortable to talk about the organization around Ashi. He didn't need reminding of his father and the people who wanted to capture him all those years ago.

"It was like a family," she said quietly. "My parents were killed a few years before I joined - I mean, I hated them for what they've done to all the innocent people over the years and... And everything but.." She trailed off. "I had friends there too. Not everyone in the Akatsuki is _completely _evil. They have their reasons."

_The man known as Deidara, grinned and extended his hand. "Hey pinky," he greeted. "Nice to meet you. I'll be the one sitting on my ass and watching you sweat and train." He flipped his blonde hair back and grinned._

_Kisame gritted his teeth and gently knocked her around the head. "Cut back on the fish jokes." He grunted._

_"I like watching the clouds.." Tobi sat back and stared upwards. Sakura had many years of practise with Kakashi, to tell that Tobi was grinning behind his mask._

_Sakura peered through the blinds of the Uchiha's office. Itachi seemed to be slumped over his desk, his face in a calm dreamy expression. She set down the basket of laundry and let her eyes wander over his office. They settled on a small photo frame at the back of the study. A man, a brunette woman and a dark-haired child. But Sakura didn't know who they were._

"Sakura?"

She came out of her memories and was surprised to see her friends stare worriedly back at her. Naruto frowned.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she said softly. "Just remembering." She waited until they'd resumed walking again and reverted her gaze down to the floor. She could see Ashi fall back into step with her as Cairo and Naruto were deep in conversation. Shu scuttled onto her shoulder from Ashi's and settled comfortingly around her neck. She petted him fondly.

Ashi said nothing but gently extended his hand and wiped an unshed tear away from her eye. Before she could defend herself, he flashed a small smile and continued on walking.

Of course, she realised. Ashi would understand.

After briefly giving in their fake names and Identifications to the Mist village guard post, they wandered quickly through the low fog into the village and Cairo ushered them into the first inn that they came across. He seemed strangely jumpy and stayed mostly silent until they sat down in one of the corners of the bar.

"Where do we start looking?" Naruto questioned and sipped his sake.

"Well we can't directly ask anyone if they've seen him," Sakura said quietly. "There could be spies all over the village - ready to tell the Mizukage of any suspicious behaviour or talk from it." She glanced wearily around the crowded in.

"Be careful not to call our target by name," Cairo said slowly. "He has blonde hair and purple eyes - that is all the information I can get on him."

"Are you sure?" Ashi pressed. "Age? Clothes?"

"None," Cairo shook his head. "Our target obviously _wants _to steer clear of this village. I doubt that if he is found and brought back, that the Mizukage will let him out of her sight. He is seen as a valuable weapon - should the Water country face war."

Naruto sighed. "I can kind of see how he'd be feeling then. A long time ago, Orochimaru wanted _me _as a weapon too."

"Does that mean we'd be targeted more," Ashi said slowly. "If for example, a band of bounty hunters realised that we had _two _demons with us."

"Then they would hunt us down to the ends of the earth." Cairo replied gravely.

Naruto snorted. "I'd like to see them try."

"Can we _please _stop talking about this?" Ashi said with surprisingly urgency. The group stared at him - even Shu got onto his hind legs and surveyed the suddenly nervous Uchiha. Ashi inclined they should lean in closer. He purposely pointed out of the window next to their table and made them look the same way.

"In the corner of the bar," he hissed. "There are a group of men that have been staring at us for the past ten minutes - _don't look_," he warned as Naruto's head twitched. "Keep looking outside! Anyway, when the bald one moved, I could see a ninja headband glinting in his pocket along with the handle of what looks like a kunai."

"So?" Naruto muttered. "This _is _a ninja village."

"And we _are _targets," Cairo whispered pointedly. "We would be easy to find for those who are adept at tracking."

Ashi lowered his arm and they resumed their normal positions. Sakura could see Ashi hunching over the table, his fingers tapping his weapon belt and Naruto slightly bending sideways, covering her.

"We cannot panic," Cairo smiled. "We are going to leave quickly and check into another inn - far from this one. When we get up from this table, we are going to act natural and they will be none-the-wiser. Remember - it may be possible that they are merely curious. I doubt the Water country get many new visitors at the moment."

And so as subtly as they could, they arose from the table, quickly paid at the bar and exited the building with Naruto gripping Sakura very tightly. They walked around a few of the foggy streets - backtracking a couple of times and turning in circles. They approached a silent alleyway and Ashi stopped in his tracks.

"How many?" Cairo asked.

"All of them - plus a couple of friends." Ashi replied, his dark eyes narrowing.

Shu darted out from Ashi's bag and scuttled up to Sakura's shoulder. Sakura clenched her fists and Haekeri could feel her irritation.

**Tell Cairo to take you and Shu and get you to safety as quickly as the chance presents itself. **The dragon ordered.

"Cairo," said Sakura. "Haekeri says that you, I and Shu need to get out of here."

"That leaves me and the kid to fight," Naruto smirked and punched the Uchiha on the shoulder. "Feel up to it?"

"Oh definitely." Ashi replied curtly.

He was just about to say something else when they were suddenly surrounded by six strong chakras. In a flash, Sakura was in the middle and see noticed that her friends had formed a triangle protective formation. She could feel Shu bury into her jacket, quivering with fear. She petted him reassuringly and fingered her weapons pouch.

"Mornin'." A heavily accented voice emerged from the mist.

Sakura surveyed the six figures revealing themselves to the group. All males. The one on the furthest right had a limp. Four men along, there was a one with no ear..

As battle techniques flew through her mind, she noted that the men were subtly inching closer to them formation - circling them, looking for weak points. They seemed to decided that Cairo would be the easiest way to get through, and situated themselves closer to him.

"Good morning," Cairo greeted good-naturedly. "And what do we owe the pleasure of your company?"

"A lot I should think," the one with slight limp smirked, his eyes raking Sakura's body hungrily. "It's almost too bad that we're here for bad news."

"Bad news?" Cairo feigned his curiosity.

"Oh yeah," a brunette bearded man answered. "See, we 'aint very happy with ya."

"Not happy at all," another one took over. "You see, you killed our boss, yeah.."

"We didn't kill anyone." Ashi snarled.

"Not _you_," Baldy said rudely. "Pinky and blondey," he smirked. "You've grown up since then though.."

Sakura bit her lip and began to assess how on earth they were going to fight these thugs. It was four against six and a ferret. She glanced quickly around the men and her eyes settled on their headbands.

"Of course," she murmured softly. "Zabuza."

"Oho," Limpy chuckled. "We have a winner."

Naruto looked back and forth from Sakura to the men. "They're Zabuza's old comrades?"

"Yes." She hissed.

A vicious snarl ripped between Naruto's teeth as he faced the men, his eyes flashed crimson and he smirked and cracked his knuckles threatingly. He glanced at Naruto and a look of understanding passed between them.

There was a sudden flash and both Naruto and Ashi had flown towards the men and Cairo had lifted Sakura up into his arms with surprisingly strength.

"Time to make a quick getaway." He smiled.


	14. Complications

**Uwaaah I'm in such a writing mood at the moment :P I've been writing some stuffs all day and neglecting my homework and revision - Raaawr. Ah well, anyways I'm ahead of my B3 estimated scheduale, so I'm happy. Another week of school, and It'll be half term - a week off school to write xDD**

"... Blah ... " - Speech

_" ... Blah ... "_ - Thoughts, flashbacks and Bhadra.

**" ... Blah ..." - **Kyuubi and Haekeri

* * *

**Betrayal 3: Destiny's Darkness**

**Chapter Fourteen: ****Complications**

**-&-**

"... And then the kid here," Naruto nodded towards the smug Uchiha. "Nailed them with one of his creepy illusions."

Ashi shrugged. "When they finally wake up, they'll think they just collapsed there after a long night of drinking. They won't remember us at all," he paused. "Of course they _may _not remember themselves either.. But whatever."

The group were seated around a small, mahogany table in a rather comfortable inn room. Of course - it was _far _away from where they planned to stay last. Cairo had made sure of that..

Sakura clicked her tongue as Naruto winced. She applied more pressure to his wound and let the healing chakra flow from her fingertips.

"I don't see the point of this," he sighed. "I'll heal fast anyway."

"To stop infection settling in," Sakura muttered. "And plus, we'll need you to fight if we're ambushed again."

"Sakura's right," said Cairo. "Today has only proved that we are _definitely _in the bingo books now. For one reason or another." He eyed Sakura and Naruto pointedly.

"I wonder who let them know that we helped take down Zabuza though," Sakura finished healing Naruto and wiped her brow. "That's what I can't help but think."

"It was foggy that day. Maybe they were hiding." Naruto grunted and fell ravenously on a bowl of ramen that Cairo had ordered. Sakura ignored his loud eating and bit her lip in thought. She tried to cast her mind back to that day, but it was no use. Her memory of it was too bleary.

Sakura dropped her arms and stared into the boy of ramen. She picked up her chopsticks and prepared to dig in, when the aroma suddenly filled up her nostrils and reeled around her brain. She dropped the chopsticks, clutched her stomach and ran into the bathroom, slamming the door nearly off the hinges. She bent over the toilet and was violently sick until her stomach had nothing more. She whimpered for a few minutes and gripped pathetically onto the seat. There was a knock at the door.

"Sakura?" Naruto called. "You ok?"

"F-Fine!" She called back. And it wasn't a lie - she really _did _feel fine, despite just vomiting her guts out. She flushed the toilet, brushed her teeth and washed her face quickly. She exited the bathroom to an array of worried glances.

"Was the food expired?" Cairo asked.

She shook her head. "I haven't eaten it yet." She sat back in her spot and reached for the bowl - suddenly starving.

"Were you sick?" Ashi asked.

"Yup."

"Don't you think you should see a doctor then?" The Uchiha continued.

"I _am _a doctor. And I say that I'm fine."

After dinner, Cairo and Ashi said a brief goodnight before returning to their own rooms with Shu scampering behind. Sakura picked up the dishes and washed them, leaving them on the drying rack and pushing the hair out of her eyes, suddenly exhausted. She was _still _starving hungry.

As she climbed into bed with Naruto that night, she dreamed of dark cloaks and red clouds wafting in eternal darkness. She heard the voices of her old comrades and the way their voices changed with different emotions. She was back in the Akatsuki base again.. In the training grounds with Deidara and Tobi. Tobi was sprawled on the ground after sparring with her. She felt herself smile. She was leaning down, extending a hand to help him up.. Tobi grabs her wrist roughly and his other hand reaches up to his orange mask. He yanks it off and..

Sakura found herself sitting up in bed again.

What a strange dream. She hadn't dreamt of the Akatsuki for months. She leaned over to check the clock.

_Three in the morning. _She sighed inwardly and fell back into the warm, comfortable sheets - willing the darkness to take hold once again. Her stomach gave a sudden lurch and Sakura found herself running for the bathroom once again. After another violent vomiting session, Sakura let a few sorry tears escape until she wiped them away and gazed at herself in the bathroom mirror. The girl that looked back, was a little green and pale with shadows under her eyes. Sakura sighed and splashed some water on her face and rinsed out her acid-tasting mouth.

**You were sick again?**

_Y-Yeah.._

She could hear Haekeri's brain ticking over. He yawned and stretched out his body like a cat.

_What do you think could be wrong? _She pressed.

**You would not want to hear my theory.**

She quickly turned off the bathroom light and padded silently back to bed - luckily Naruto hadn't heard her little trip. She slid in between the warm sheets and cuddled up to him.

_Oh yes I would._

Haekeri narrowed his yellow eyes. **I think you may be pregnant.**

Sakura's eyes bulged - that was the _last _thing she was expecting to hear. She blushed heavily and glared mentally at the dragon cowering in her mind. He blinked slowly back at her and grinned.

_You're wrong!_

**Am I?**

_YES! _She mentally yelled childishly. Sakura bit her lip and began counting down the days since she'd had her last period. At the total, she frowned and began counting once again, this time using her fingers.

"That can't be right.." She muttered aloud. According to her calculations - she was at least four days late for her period, although she is usually spot on every month. As the reality dawned on her, Sakura's mouth fell open and she was gasping for air.

_OH GOD. I'M PREGNANT. OH GOD.. OH GOD.._

But she was a _medic_.. How on earth would she have forgotten to do a birth control jutsu before she and Naruto.. Well.. Were together that way.

**Calm down**, the dragon ordered and rolled his eyes at her building hysteria. **It may just be a false alarm and stress that has caused you to miss your pattern-..**

_CALM DOWN?? AM HOW AM I MEANT TO DO THAT?_

**By being quiet for one thing.. **He fell deep into thought. **I suggest you wake up early and find the nearest medical advice centre. They'll be able to give you a test. Then you'll know for sure.**

Sakura forced herself to keep still and focused solely on keeping calm. It seemed to work and her heartbeat slowed down considerably, the air cooling down. She bit on the skin around her thumb and glanced towards the sleeping shape next to her. She smiled tenderly and stroked Naruto's gorgeous blonde locks. As much as she hated it, she couldn't help but think '_The father of my child_.'

She'd always wanted a big family with a wonderful husband and two or three kids in a large house back in Konoha - and when she got married, the picture became more clearer and in reach. But was she really ready to have a child and raise it.. She groaned. It was the _worst _time to be possibly pregnant. How could see go around hunting demons now, if she was also hauling a child around? She wasn't even sure that'd _she _would emerge victorious from this 'quest' - let alone the kid!

Nevertheless - getting an abortion was _NOT _an option. And she'd never agree to one.

Somewhere along her line of worrying, she found herself waking up once again - this time, to a much lighter room. She yawned and quickly dressed - too jittery to make herself anything to eat or drink.

She quickly kissed the still sleeping Naruto on the forehead, and rushed out of the room.

Downstairs, was absolutely silent. Even the bar was completely deserted - Sakura estimated that it may have been about five in the morning, she forgot to check. She gave herself no less than two hours - to find the nearest medical centre and return.

If she _was _pregnant - she'd have to work out a way to tell Naruto and the others.

If she wasn't.. Well it would solve a lot of problems.

The fog seemed to be extra thick this morning and Sakura had to walk around blindly in any hopeful direction. Now she thought about it, coming outside all alone when nobody was around - didn't seem like such a good idea. Especially after yesterday's events, it was a stupid thing to do.

"I don't care." She muttered. "I want an answer."

It was freezing - she'd thought to borrow Naruto's black jacket before heading out. It smelled strongly of his scent and made her feel safe - like he was actually there with her too.

How much time had she wasted now? Thirty minutes? An hour?

The fog seemed so dense. It went on forever and ever. Sakura didn't know how the _hell _she was going to find her way back to the inn again. Damn, she should have waited until the afternoon..

"OW."

She managed to collide with a sturdy object and fell onto her back. She grimaced as pain shot up her spine and her first thought was; _'This can't be good for the baby!' _Sakura glanced up to see a figure shrouded in mist. It didn't move and neither did she.

**Run. **Haekeri offered helpfully.

Sakura ignored him and clambered to her feet. She nearly burst out into hysterical laughter when at her full height, she realised the figure was a few inches shorter. It stepped closer and Sakura could identify him as a boy - a couple of years younger than Ashi.

"Eh, sorry," the boy scratched his head sheepishly. "I didn't know I'd be ramming people so early in the morning." He grinned in a very Naruto-like way. But that didn't stop Sakura from noticing the weary look in his violet eyes. She let her eyes roam over his face. There was an ugly scar under his left eye that descended all the way down his cheek and by the look of it - was stitched back up badly. He wore a huge green scarf around his skinny neck and a grey mesh top, plain trousers and soft sandals. He didn't appear to have a headband.

"Uh - It's fine," Sakura recovered her surprise and smiled. "It's my fault anyway - I wanted to get something."

The boy nodded. "We were both kinda in a hurry then-.." He trailed off and stared at her.

"What?" She said uneasily.

"You have weird hair," he grinned. "One of a kind. I've never seen pink hair before."

"You have weird hair too." She reached out to ruffle his short, blonde spikes. As she connected, two things happened. The first of which - was that the boy stiffened at the contact and blushed heavily, turning away. The second - was Haekeri roaring in her mind and growling viciously. She clutched her head painfully and sank to her knees - groaning and whimpering. Haekeri apologised for the noise and retreated backwards.

Sakura took a few moments to regain herself. She was undoubtedly embarrassed of going to pieces in front of the boy like that. When she rose to her feet again, the boy was staring at her fearfully, his eyes wide.

"Y-You're.." He trailed off and patted the sides of his head. Sakura frowned and slowly caught on to what he was trying to say.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "Haekeri's.. In here." She patted her chest.

Haekeri was strangely smug. **Kid's terrified of me.**

_How does he know? Did he learn of you from somewhere? HOW did he realise?_

**Think about it**, Haekeri said. **When you touched him. Think about it.  
**

_You ripped my head to pieces with your damn snarling_, she frowned. _Why?_

Sakura let her eyes wander over to the scared teenager again. He met her glance and averted his eyes to the floor. She wondered that if he was so scared - why hadn't he run away or something?

And then realisation dawned.

"You're Yagura.." She said slowly. "The three tails.."

"That's how I know," he whispered. "Sanbi senses the ten tails. He's telling me that you're going to kill us." Yagura let a few tears cascade down his cheeks. Sakura impulsively reached over and slid her arms around his shoulders. In truth, she didn't know what to say.. _"Oh don't worry kid.. We'll just make it so your demon takes over your body completely - and then when he's being dragged down to hell. We'll pop on over and yank you out of his skull.."? _No, that would terrify him.

"Nothing is going to happen to _you_," she promised. "But we're going to have to send the demon away.."

Yagura sniffed and roughly wiped his cheeks. He checked the small watch on his wrist and stepped away from Sakura.

"I need to go soon," he warned. "Before people come out and capture me and then send me off to the Mizukage," he gritted his teeth. "That's all they see me for really. A tool. Something that needs to be protected under surveillance. All day, every day." His tone turned bitter and he moodily kicked a few stones at his feet.

"That means I need to head back soon," Sakura sighed and raked a hand through her hair. "I don't know what to do. I can't just leave you here." She swore under her breath - recalling the reason why she was out so early in the first place.

"Can you direct me to the nearest medical unit? Or chemist?"

Yagura raised his eyebrows. "Why?"

"Uhh. Personal reason.." Sakura hedged. "You know where one is?"

"Sure," he replied and bit his lip. "It isn't so far - I'll take you, you seem to be lost."

There wasn't enough time for Sakura to let the embarrassment get to her, so she let Yagura lead her deeper into the thick fog. He seemed to know where he was going and confidently led the way while she remained a few steps behind. A few occasions, she'd opened her mouth to try and strike up some sort of conversation. But she knew he would probably not be willing to talk to her. He'd be worrying about his own life.

Another few steps and Yagura stopped promptly. He turned to her.

"We're here." He said softly.

Even through the mist, Sakura could make out the huge red cross. She sighed in relief - at least that was _one _of her problems over..

"Will you really take the demon away from me?"

The question had caught her off guard and she gazed at his violet orbs. She nodded slowly and he exhaled.

"I think," he whispered. "That I should come with you."

"_What_?" She gasped. "Willingly?"

"Y-Yeah," he smiled sheepishly. "It's not as if I actually _like _being a demon container. I mean - my friends and family were killed a long time ago, protecting me due to evil ninja who wanted my power," he gritted his teeth. "I can only come to this village very early in the morning when nobody is around, so I can steal some food and try to live for myself in the wilderness.. It's a sucky life."

"So that's why you're out here..."

"Yeah."

She really immensely felt bad for the boy - not much younger than Ashi. He'd had just as much as bad a life as Naruto. But that was the life of all the demon containers wasn't it? Cursed and doomed from the second the demons were sealed within them at birth. Only she, had the best deal. _Her _demon was the good guy. _Her _demon wouldn't kill her.

She rubbed the back of her head as if it would help her migrane. "Well uh.. I'm going to finish up my business quickly here," she nodded towards the twenty-four hour medic centre. "And then I guess we'll hurry back to my friends.." She trailed off and cast him a weary glance. "Uh.. Is that alright?"

He blushed lightly and nodded.

"Yup."


	15. Red Clouds

**Half term is aweeeesome :D OMGGG I went to the Anime Expo in London this Saturday.. SO DAMN AWESOME!! I'm definetly going again next year ;) I even cosplayed as Itachi - muah ha ha. I think I molested about 12 Sasukes..**

"... Blah ... " - Speech

_" ... Blah ... "_ - Thoughts, flashbacks and Bhadra.

**" ... Blah ..." - **Kyuubi and Haekeri

* * *

**Betrayal 3: Destiny's Darkness**

**Chapter Fifteen: ****Red Clouds**

**-&-**

**Is it time yet?**

_A few more minutes_. Sakura checked the white clock above the bathtub and glared impatiently down at the stick in her hands. She clicked her tongue impatiently and tried to calm the small spasms in her legs.

**You picked a bad time to get pregnant. **Haekeri said unhelpfully.

_I MIGHT not be_, she mentally growled. _This may all be a bad fluke - and then Naruto needs to know NOTHING._

**And what if it isn't?**

_What?_

Haekeri sighed. **What if you ARE pregnant? Will you still be able to continue on with your destiny safely?**

Sakura said nothing. For the past few hours, she had been agonizing over this factor and trying to calculate different outcomes. Basically - she could abandon the quest altogether - or at least postpone it until the kid was born.. Or carry on and risk a miscarriage. She bit her lip in anguish at the thought of losing her unborn child.. Hers and _Naruto's _child. A cute pudgy girl or boy with a tuft of sandy blonde hair..

She could hear the others talking quietly in the living room - discussing tactics of what to do next. Sakura gave a small smile as she remembered entering the small hotel room with Yagura that very morning and announcing that _he _was their very next target.. Their faces!

**Sakura? I think it's time.**

She could see the dragon quietly etch forward to the front of her mind, his eyes lowering down to scan the pregnancy test she grasped. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Her eyes wandered downwards and latched onto the stick.

Two red lines.

_Two red lines.._

"Holy crap," she hissed and dropped the stick faster than if it had been red hot. "Shit!"

Haekeri's closed his golden eyes and mulled out the situation. He said nothing but Sakura could feel the disappointment radiating from his dark scales.

She _was _pregnant.

She began to shake and bent down to snatch up the test again - her eyes viciously raking the results and the instructions leaflet to check she'd gotten it correct.. Yup. Positive.

She slowly paced over to the small mirror suspended above the glistening sink and stared into her reflection. Her arms curled protectively around her stomach and she closed her eyes - imagining the foetus sleeping protectively inside. She smiled as tears began to dribble down her cheeks and she laughed quietly, almost hysterical.

**Are you alright?**

_Is it.. Strange for me to be so happy right now? _She sobbed quietly. _I mean - I know the extreme danger I'll be putting my baby through.. And the possibility of one or both of us dying.. But.. I-I'm so happy._

Haekeri nodded. **I cannot imagine the feeling. I have never been pregnant myself. **He smiled at the weak joke.

He let Sakura spend a few minutes letting the tears out and cleaning herself up a bit. He then mentally prodded her to return to the other room with the rest of her friends and let them know of the news. Sakura could tell that Haekeri was not entirely happy with her life choice - but she didn't care.. What she really worried about, was how everyone else would react. Would they shout at her and make her have an abortion? No.. surely not. She couldn't imagine Naruto being _angry _with her. He would hopefully be happy at the prospect of their first child. _Hopefully._

She took another breath and disposed of the pregnancy stick and the box in the small bin by the door. She grasped onto the doorknob and swung it open in what she hoped was a cool manner. As she entered the living room, the conversation stopped and everybody stared at her.

"What?" She asked.

"Were you sick again?" Naruto asked worriedly. He shuffled aside so that Sakura had room to slide into the kotatsu next to him. She grasped his hand reassuringly and smiled.

"I'm fine. Amazing in fact."

"We were just talking about how to uh.. approach things," Cairo shot a glance at Yagura - who had been staring in awe at Ashi for the past few minutes. "I cannot help but say that it is quite an honour to be in the same room as three demon containers."

"A reunion." Naruto snorted. He turned back to the pink-haired girl. "So what's up?"

She smiled guiltily and locked eye contact with him. "I.. Have some news."

The males ears pricked and they leaned in closer to hear. She felt a little claustrophobic at the sudden interest and her hands curled sub-consciously around her stomach again. Naruto's cerulean gaze rested on her stomach and he spent a few moments thinking.

"We're going to have a baby." She said softly.

At her words, Naruto visibly stiffened and his back went rigid. Sakura didn't care to look at the other three in the room and continued to stare at her husband. Her smile slowly slipped off her face and she placed a hand on his shoulder. He twitched at the contact and blinked a few times. Two.. Three.. Four..

"N-Naruto?" She whispered.

"Pregnant." He murmuered. "Pregnant?" He said again, louder.

"Y-Yes," she paused and took in his pale expression. "Aren't you happy? We're having a _baby_, Naruto. Mine and yours.. Our child!" She turned to look at the others for some sort of clue of what to say next. Her eyebrows rose in shock as she noticed that it was only her and Naruto now seated at the kotatsu. She figured that Ashi, Shu, Cairo and Yagura must have wanted to give them privacy..

Hands shot forwards and suddenly rested on her tummy. She stared at Naruto. He lowered his head until it touched her chest and gently tugged up her shirt until her stomach showed. He wordlessly slid her head downwards until he was at her bellybutton. He kissed her stomach gently and then rose back to normal height again. He gave Sakura the most gorgeous smile she'd ever seen! Her heart faltered.

"I can't believe it," he whispered. "We're having a kid.. Our first son or daughter," he rose his eyebrows. "Do we know if it's a boy or girl yet?"

"No, you idiot," she laughed quietly. "It's too soon to tell - I'm barely two weeks gone." Her hands came into contact with Naruto's and their fingers intertwined together. He leaned downwards and placed gentle kisses on her cheeks and her nose.

"Thought of a name yet?" He grinned. "You women are always supposed to be prepared like that.."

"Oh shush." She smiled and swatted him playfully. She blushed and bit her lip. He cocked his head to the side.

"What?"

"I uhh.. Always liked the name _Hanatarou_ for a boy," she confessed. "And _Nala _for a girl."

"Nala and Hanatarou," Naruto grinned. "And how much time have you been thinking about them?"

"... Since we became Genin..."

"So around the time you girls started planning your weddings and the rest of your lives then?"

"Shut up!" She growled. "I'm being _serious_ - do you like those names or not?"

Naruto still had a huge grin on his face. It turned seductive and kissed her until she let out a quiet moan.

"I love them."

They kissed for a while longer and Sakura unwillingly broke away and faced the door, yelling at the others that they were allowed to come back in. Once everyone was seated comfortably at the kotatsu again, Sakura took on a business like tone.

"So what have we got planned no-.."

"Sakura," Ashi interrupted. "You honestly can't expect to keep the baby can you?" He ignored the vicious growls issuing from Naruto's throat and continued. "You're already putting yourself through a lot of danger by going after powerful demons.. Do you really want to be responsible for the death of your child as well?"

"I've already thought about it," Sakura said as calmly as she could manage. Her voice wobbled a little. "But my baby is giving me more of a reason of live. I _won't _let myself or my child die."

"You can't guarantee that-.."

"Shut it Ashi." Naruto hissed.

The Uchiha glared at the blonde. "I suppose you thought nothing of the risks?"

"I did as a matter of fact," Naruto growled. "Sakura's strong. She'd endured more shit than she's deserved and managed to make it through," he glanced at her. "Of course I'm not going to force her to keep the kid, it's her decision."

"I'm keeping it." She said firmly.

Ashi opened his mouth to protest more but Cairo rested a hand on the Uchiha's shoulder and he closed it and sighed.

Cairo stared intently at Sakura. "Does Haekeri approve?"

"He's.. Not happy," she said carefully. "But I _think _he's willing to help protect it."

"Then that is all the hope we need," Cairo said quietly. "Sakura will do her best to make sure that she and the child make it through this journey safely. And of course we will all help and be supportive of this choice," he smiled. "Congratulations."

"Thank you."

Cairo nodded and let his gaze wander over the whole table. "Now back to the business at hand," he turned to Yagura. "How are you feeling little one?"

Yagura blushed at being directly addressed. "Fine." He muttered.

"You know what will happen? What we'll have to do?"

"Y-Yeah.. Sakura explained it to me earlier," he frowned. "Does that mean after I will be able to be normal again?"

As Cairo nodded and continued to talk to the boy. Sakura fell silent and surveyed Yagura. She had noticed that no one had told the boy that there was not a definite possibility that he would live after the extraction. She mentally cringed and she stared at her hands folded in her lap. A wave of guilt was beginning to wash over her.. But what could she do? Telling Yagura that he could possibly _die _would scare the living crap out of him.. He wouldn't let them extract.. They'd have to take it by force.

Sakura shook her head fiercely and met Naruto's gaze. From the dark look in his eyes, she guessed he must have been thinking along the same lines. She tuned into the conversation again, thankfully that no one else had noticed her daydreaming.

"So that's it?" Yagura blinked. "All I'll have to do is let the demon take control?"

"Yes," Cairo replied. "We will do the rest and make you safe."

_Lie._

**He's just a child. Sometimes it's necessary to lie.**

She didn't even need to reply. He could feel the disgust welling up in her throat as she numbly stayed silent and did nothing. Naruto shuffled closer and slid his arm around her lower back.

"Behave." He whispered.

Sakura narrowed her eyes and suddenly Yagura was replaced by a shimmering light and a blonde spiky-haired child was sat in his place. The child had wide, emerald eyes and a cautious look on his face. Sakura studied this child in horror. She could see both herself and Naruto in him. With a leap of her heart she realised it could be her son! She bit her lip and blushed as the child faded back into Yagura's frame once again.

_I feel so, _she clenched her chest. _Evil.. It's like we're lying to my own kid!  
_

She could also feel Ashi eye her wearily and Shu climb onto her lap and purr reassuringly. Her eyes connected with Ashi's dark ones. He seemed to be warning her wordlessly not to scare Yagura.

Sakura could think of a good place where Ashi could stick that warning.. She opened her mouth to let Yagura know of his possible fate, when a sudden knock at her door threw the idea from her mind.

At one, her friends were on their feet, weapons at the ready.

"Could hunters have found us that fast?" Naruto hissed.

"It's possible," Cairo said darkly. "Sakura - did _anyone _see you bring Yagura into this room? Anyone at all?"

"None," she whispered. "Our demons would have sensed the chakra - even if it was hidden."

"Who else knows that we're here?" Ashi said.

No one answered him.

"Hang on," Sakura growled. "If things come to a fight - do you guys really think it's wise that we start fighting in a hotel? We'd get the authorities in here faster than we could escape - PLUS some of the workers or other residents here may get caught up in it..."

Cairo nodded. "I will go and answer the door. I doubt I'll be attacked straight away - nobody enjoys killing the elderly." He slipped a spiked sword from a leather belt under his robes and made his way cautiously to the door. As he slipped out of sight, they waited with hushed breaths, Naruto was in front of Sakura and Ashi in front of Yagura. They heard the sound of a door opening and Cairo greeting the visitor. A few moments later, he shuffled into the room, sword out of sight and a small woman following in basic tan clothing.

If she was startled to see the group looking so defensive, she didn't voice her opinion. She bowed low and addressed them.

"Nice to meet you all, I am Yuuko - one of the receptionists of this hotel..."

Sakura barely listened and scanned the woman for any signs of a concealed weapon. Finding none, her attention was back to Yuuko.

"Forgive me for the interruption," Yuuko smiled, her violet eyes lingering on Naruto a little longer than Sakura thought necessary. "There is a visitor for a Mrs Haruno and Mr Uchiha in the tea room downstairs."

Her words were met with silence.

Sakura frowned and carefully stepped around Naruto.

"I'm.. Haruno." She whispered. Ashi too, stepped forwards.

Yuuko smiled warmly. "Ahh that's good. Well, goodbye and enjoy the rest of your stay." She bowed pleasantly and exited. As soon at the front door snapped shut. Sakura rounded on the group.

"We signed in with fake names." She snarled.

"Which mean that our visitor may know us personally.." Ashi said quietly. "I wonder how many other people he has told our names to?"

"That doesn't matter," Naruto spat. "_Someone _is downstairs who obviously shouldn't be. What we should also be worrying about is how exactly they found us here! I don't think the guys me and Ashi beat up managed to track us down.."

Cairo sighed and stroked his silver beard. He surveyed them in silence.

"I think," he said finally. "That both Ashi and Sakura should go downstairs, find out who this person is."

Naruto growled and took a protective step towards the pink-headed girl, obviously he thought the idea was absolutely ridiculous. Sakura laid a steady hand on his shoulder and he quietened down. She silently adjusted her weapons belt securely around her waist and tucked a few extra kunai into her boots. Beside her, Ashi was testing a couple of senbon and shuriken deciding where to hide them so he'd have a good throwing angle.

"Will they be safe?" Naruto glanced at Cairo.

"I should imagine so," the old man replied. "Would you be able to trap them in an illusion if things get rough?"

"Should do, yes." Ashi replied.

"Then I have faith in both of you."

Both Sakura and Ashi wasted no time in reaching the door and slipping out of it, Sakura barely had time to kiss Naruto on the cheek before rushing downstairs and sticking close to Ashi. Together, they cautiously stepped through the stairway as it wound down towards reception. Yuuko waved cheerily at them from the front desk and they waved back, fake cheerful expressions at the ready. As soon as she was out of sight, they reached the door of the tearoom and locked gazes.

"I should be able to heal if anyone gets hurt." Sakura promised.

Ashi nodded. "I'll back you up." He had a strange look in his eyes.

Sakura quickly pulled open the door of the tea room and they rushed into the room - expecting to be greeted by a mob of thugs.

No one.

_What. The. Fuck? _Haekeri didn't even bother to scold her about her language. He seemed just as surprised about the lack of action as they emerald gaze scanned the tables and booths at the back. She felt Ashi dig her gently in the ribs and her eyes roamed a dark booth in the corner. Signalling for him to follow, she wove in between the tables and approached the dark booth and a shrouded figure sitting in it. Looking a lot braver than she felt.

"Ah, you're here." The figure said quietly. There was something ominous and familiar about the voice.. But she couldn't place it..

The figure shuffled closer and began to fiddle with the small curtain that was covering the window. The knot of the crimson cord fell away and a stream of light fell onto the booth. Directly onto the visitor's face.

Sakura swore loudly and stepped backwards. She could feel herself connecting with a string of tables and sending them flying as a string of profanities exploded from her mouth. Anger boiled dangerously in her veins and she could feel her physical appearance beginning to change.. Teeth lengthening... Nails sharpening.. Haekeri roaring in her ears...

"Y-You.. Yo.. YOU!"

"Me." The visitor said calmly.

"Bastard," she snarled. "I should have killed you when I had the chance.. _Itachi Uchiha._"

Itachi blinked slowly and smirked. "Would you like to stop swearing in front of my son?" He gestured to the stiff Ashi staring in horror at the appearance of his father.

"YOU KILLED HIS MOTHER," Sakura screeched. "WHY? WHY DID YOU MURDER KIMOKO?"

"It.. Was not murder," Itachi paused and stared at his son. "You _must _understand that it wasn't murder."

Ashi said nothing but sank weakly into the seat across from the notorious Akatsuki member, he seemed lost for words and had the expression of a ghoul. Sakura marched up to the booth, intent on yanking Ashi up and running back to the hotel room to warn the others, when a hand darted out and grabbed her firmly around the wrist.

"Get off me Itachi." She said dangerously.

She couldn't stop staring at his hand.

It was.. _Old. _Withered and white with the fleshy veins showing clearly through the badly transparent skin. His fingers looked like bones off a corpse - she mused at the thought of snapping them off entirely, it would have been very easy.

She took in the rest of Itachi's appearance. He was dressed in black woollen clothes and a crimson scarf draped loosely over his neck. His face was haggard and thin looking, the cheekbones sticking violently out from his face and there were dark circles under his obsidian eyes.

She snatched her arm away and frowned.

"How exactly did you march into the Mist country without anyone spotting you?"

He shrugged in an Ashi-like manner. "Disguises.. Plus the sharingan comes in handy sometimes."

"You mean there are a trail of bodies leading to this inn isn't there?" She grinned wickedly. "A long trail of your hatred and evilness."

Itachi stared coldly at her. "How could one who once belonged to the Akatsuki, the same as I - think of herself as no longer a traitor?"

"I was _never _a traitor," she snapped. "I never killed my whole clan in cold blood and then joined the most dangerous organisation in the world.. And then plotted to steal all of the tailed demons for power!"

"It was never mine either," he muttered and rested a head on his frail hand. "Believe it or not - but Pein was the one running the operations. We were all just his puppets - even you. I was just along for the ride. I have no desire for power."

"Lies!"

He shrugged again and gestured to the seat beside Ashi. "We both know that you will not leave until you know why I am here. You must have already guessed I am not here for a fight, or I would have already attacked you.. And won."

"You shouldn't be so sure of yourself." She hissed, but nevertheless sat protectively next to Ashi and waited for Itachi to continue. The elder Uchiha sighed and ruffled his lank dark hair. He tossed the curtain to the side so no one could see him.

"Sasuke is coming for me isn't he?"

Sakura said nothing, she glared.

Itachi clicked his tongue. "I will fight him one-on-one, do not think I'm here only to pump you for battle details," he smirked. "I have the advantage in that section anyway."

"Oh really?" She said sarcastically.

"Sakura.." He began. She was surprised - Itachi had never really called her by her first name before. It was usually 'Haruno' or 'Girl'. She let the surprise not alter her stoic expression.

"I am going to die," he said quickly. "Whether it be from being hunted down from the bingo books, by Sasuke or my own hand - I guarantee that I will be dead within the next eight months."

"I hope it's the second option." She said coldly.

"I do too," he admitted. "I did a bad thing. Sasuke needs... Revenge."

She snorted. "I really hope you aren't wasting our time with this 'Oh I feel so sorry for myself' crap. You manipulated Naruto and I into the Akatsuki to kill us and killed.." She cast a glance at the boy beside her. "You killed.." She trailed off.

".. Kimoko.." Itachi finished quietly. "I know."

"Don't you feel any remorse?" She snapped. "You ruined a family!"

"You have no idea.. What I feel," he said darkly. "You cannot fathom what I've lost and what I'll loose. Imagine the worst pain you have ever been in - magnified several thousands of times and being hated for doing a duty.. Imagine that you had to kill everyone you loved - in order to save the entire world. What would you do?"

She bit her lip and clenched her fists. Her friend's faces flashed before her eyelids.. Ino.. Hinata.. Chouji.. Shikamaru.. Naruto. Their broken bodies falling to the ground one by one as the rest of her village clapped and cheered her on..

"It hurts doesn't it?" Itachi said softly.

Sakura said nothing.

Itachi sighed and stared at his son. "I did not kill her in cold blood.. She.. Asked."

That was news. Sakura snapped out of her depressing mood and her highbrows shot into her hair. She placed her hands on Ashi's shoulder, who had stiffened and gasped quietly.

"I didn't know I'd love her so much in the beginning.." It seemed as if Itachi had forgotten they were there and was talking to himself. "I met her so many years ago on a mission.. We got together.. And.." He glanced at Ashi. "I had to leave. It was not safe. I would not have been a good father or a husband. Who would want.. A murderer teaching their son how to be a good boy?" He spat bitterly.

"I don't believe that Kimoko would have.. Wanted to die." Sakura whispered.

"Really?"

"Yes." She said defiantly.

He feel silent for a few moments and inhaled sharply. Sakura shot him a questioning look and he returned his gaze to the mist outside once again.

"I promised her something," he said quietly. "She wanted me to find Ashi and Sasuke - live together. Be a family," he gave a small crooked smile. "Guess there's no way that can happen."

"Why can't it?" Ashi whispered. It was the first time he'd spoken allowed since they'd entered the tea room to find the elder Uchiha. Sakura could feel the teenager shaking next to her, in fear or shock - Sakura couldn't tell.

"Sasuke and I cannot live in the same world," Itachi answered simply. "I have hurt him too much. He has spent most of his life training to come after me. I must honour his wish-.."

"Why did you come here for?" Sakura demanded. "Surely you didn't risk your own life to hunt us all the way here to _reminisce_. Come on Itachi - what's your agenda?

"You cannot blame me for only answering your questions," he replied calmly. "But since I know I'm definitely going to die, I sought you and your sidekicks out, in order to give you a little background information and I wanted to see my son, one last time. A goodbye thing." He looked uncomfortable. Perhaps not used to letting out so much emotion in one day. The prospect of it almost made Sakura burst out in giggles.

"What's your information?" She said weakly and rubbed her forehead to somehow cure the migraine.

"Akatsuki is finished," he declared. "I'm sure you remember when Pein and Konan were killed some years ago?" She nodded. "Without our leaders, I will not deny that the organisation sort of fell apart. And after.. Kimoko, Deidara had to seek me out in hope that I would lead everyone on our journey for a tailed demons again," he sighed and shook his head. "Not an easy task. We managed to get three - one, six, eight. They are still at the Akatsuki base - safely hidden in three statues under the ground - you remember where base was?"

"Why are you telling me this?"

He sighed impatiently. "I'm telling you where to get the demons. Carry on with you life." He immediately regretted the advice and moodily sank back into the shadows.

"Anything else?" She doubted very much that anything else he had to say would surprise her.

"Yes. I am sending Deidara your way," he coughed into his skinny hands, a hacking sound. "And anyone else that may be of use to you.. Kisame maybe.."

"Tobi!" She blurted aloud. "Ashi said that Tobi was still alive! Is he okay? Where is he now? Did he get into trouble after he helped us escape?"

Itachi blinked slowly. "Tobi is.. Well. No doubt he will join up with you soon." A strange dark look appeared on his face and Sakura saw something flick briefly in his dark eyes. When she looked again, it had gone and Itachi was staring contentedly at his son.

**We should give them time alone.**

_But.. What if he does something to Ashi? Itachi already killed Kimoko.. What if Ashi's next?_

**Kimoko Tachibana asked to be killed because she was lonely and felt as if she had no place in this world. **Haekeri reminded gently. **It hurt him greatly and I doubt after his suffering that he would do it again to his own son. Itachi Uchiha is no longer a threat.**

She mentally scowled and quickly stood up from the booth, stepping outwards.

"I'm going to leave the both of you alone and tell the others upstairs what the fuss was about," she said, not bothering to turn around. "If Ashi is not back within an hour..." She left her threat hanging. Itachi nodded in understanding and muttered a "Thank you." Sakura stomped off quickly towards the tea rooms doors, past a busy Yuuko and sailed up the stairs, back to a civillised situation.


	16. Three Tails Sanbi

**It is now 1:20AM and I'm so damn hyperrrrrrr! xD**

**Damn, I'm soooo sorry I haven't updated in a few weeks. So right now I'm gonna try to crank out 3 chapters in two days - wish me luck!**

"... Blah ... " - Speech

_" ... Blah ... "_ - Thoughts, flashbacks and Bhadra.

**" ... Blah ..." - **Kyuubi and Haekeri

* * *

**Betrayal 3: Destiny's Darkness**

**Chapter Sixteen: ****Three Tails Sanbi**

**-&-**

"Has everyone got everything?" Cairo asked for the last time and shoved the last of their backpacks into the back of the monstrous western truck that he had hired to transport them safely away from the village. Sakura nodded wordlessly and placed a hand on Yagura's back to guide him into one of the passenger seats with Shu. Cairo climbed into the front to make the last adjustments to the steering. Sakura closed the boot of the truck with a screech of metal and found herself face to face with Naruto.

"Stop worrying," he said gently and leaned forwards until her back was against the truck. "It'll work out.. At least that bastard knows he did wrong.." Sakura was secretly glad that Naruto was still against Itachi as much as she was. When she'd returned to the inn room earlier that day - they were shocked at the thought of one of the most notorious Akatsuki members sitting in the tea room downstairs!

"I know," she groaned. "But I can't help but think that Itachi's going to-.."

"He says he knows he's gonna die," Naruto interrupted. "So we should get on with our lives," he gently prodded Sakura's tummy. "With our baby Hanatarou or Nala."

Her face split into a smile and she nodded in agreement. Naruto kissed her quickly on the forehead and jogged up to the front of the truck to help Cairo. Sakura chewed on her nails - fondly remembering the times when her mother and Tsunade would scold her for it! - She glared back at the foggy inn doors and saw a figure move out of the entrance.

Ashi was slouching slowly towards the truck. Sakura could tell by the hunch of his shoulders and the way his hands were shoved in his pockets that Ashi really did _not _want to talk about what happened. She flashed him a sympathetic smile that he probably didn't even see - and clambered into the back of the convoy to sit next to the window.

"Are we ready to go?" Cairo asked. Sakura didn't even know _why _he bothered - it was obvious that they all wanted to get out of there as fast as possible! The old man started the truck and swiftly pulled it into a steady speed. And they were off.

The fun factor lasted at least ten seconds. Sakura had never been in a westernised vehicle herself - and she was pretty sure that Naruto, Yagura and Ashi hadn't either. She couldn't help but bite on her nails worriedly and stare at her silent and troubled friends.

Outside, the rickety hills rolled past half-shrouded in the cold mist and light rain. Sakura narrowed her eyes and tried to take in as much of the passing scenery as she could - a hopeful distraction from the hostile thoughts and worry for the upcoming fight. In the corner of her eyes, she could see Yagura gazing wistfully out at the disappearing surroundings as they melted into the fog, emotion flickering in his violent orbs.

_Why do they do it? _She asked silently. _Why the hell do they stick demons in small children? Children who aren't meant to be shunned - but to enjoy themselves before Adulthood screws them over.._

**More humans would have to be used, if the demons were sealed in adults. By sealing them in babies - the demons are secured longer and less lives are sacrificed. **She saw Haekeri's eyes close in what she guessed was shame. He really didn't like the concept of demons in children either. Even though he also looked at it from a military point of view.

Sakura ignored the images flickering through his mind and clenched her fists - gazing outward at the snow capped mountain peaks.

At the back of the convoy, Ashi had barely said two words since they'd set off - and not that Sakura blamed him.. She'd be lost for words if her ex-Akatsuki member murderer of a father showed up!

_I guess Sasuke won't have to search for Itachi much longer.. _She thought darkly.

In fact, the whole van seemed to be kind of silent apart from the engine rumbling underneath their seats and the odd tree branch scraping the roof. Everyone seemed to be lost in their thoughts with glassy expressions and almost robot-like movements. If she'd stuck out her tongue, she imagined that she would have been able to taste the tension and loss in the air.

**You need to start concentrating, **Haekeri scolded. **We have a fight coming up soon. It will not help if you're stood there - dazed in the middle of the battlefield and Sanbi decides to crack you head ope-..**

"I know!" She snapped aloud. It was only until her friends were staring at her with weary expressions, that she'd realised her mistake.

"D-Demon trouble." She mumbled and blushed. It seemed to typical of her to go and shatter the uneasy silence..

"Yours speaks to you?" Yagura exclaimed. He wriggled about in his cracked leather seat for a better posture and stared at her eagerly. Sakura nodded slowly and inclined her head towards Naruto. "His too."

"Mine doesn't speak," Yagura sighed. "I reckon 'cause Sanbi's mostly resides underwater - so he _can't _speak."

"You can't hear his thoughts?"

Yagura shook his head. "He's put up a mental block. I've tried for ages to try and get past it."

_Something we should be worried about? _Sakura thought urgently. _What if Sanbi's been plotting something all along just in case he was in this type of situation occurred. Is that possible?_

Haekeri mulled over the suggestion. **Sanbi likes his privacy - doesn't trust strangers.. Apparently he doesn't even trust his own host. Sanbi is not as cunning at the two tailed cat. We may be fine.**

She didn't like the 'may be'.

She smiled. "That perhaps is a good thing. Having a demon always listening to your thoughts - and likewise can sometimes be very tiring."

"Tiring?" Yagura cocked his head.

"Yeah. It's mentally draining having to share your mind and body with another entity. Especially one with a lot of power."

"What does he say to you?" Yagura asked. "What type of things do you talk about? How does he speak? Does he growl?"

She grimaced at the feverishness of the questions being thrown at her.

"Classified information." She replied sweetly and winked. Yagura's face fell and he toyed with his fingers and bit his lip. She wondered if he was possibly going to ask another question, but he seemed to decide against it and the van fell into a deep silence once again.

The mountainous scenery faded into icy blue lakes and steep frost-covered hills. The fog seemed a little less dense away from the village and was thinning nicely so that they could pick out the dark shadow of the ocean in the distance. Now that the dirt road was completely empty, Cairo could crank up the power and propel the truck faster - ploughing through the odd patches of long grass and mud. The constant shaking of the van was having an affect on them all. Sakura could see them move about impatiently in their seats every so often. She yawned and eased her back upwards, ignoring the deep cracking sound.

"Nearly there!" Cairo called cheerfully from the drivers seat. The group eagerly sat fully up in their seats and craned their heads for a good look at where they were.

Cairo had driven to a small rocky bay, shielded by tall grassy and icy hills that ranged far out into the distance. The freezing water was very shallow and the cliffs jutted out either side of the bay and nearly connected at the tip of the headland. There seemed to be not a soul for miles so they could fight safely. There was even a flt platform protruding from the cliff wall nearest to them - perfect to have Cairo, Ashi, Naruto and Shu on while Sakura and Yagura were fighting.

They piled out of the uncomfortable van and found themselves shivering in the wind while Cairo turned off the engine and climbed out of the cab, slamming it loudly until the sound was lost to the wind. He led the way down a steep, rocky path down to the bay and quickly signalled for them to huddle under a huge rock, by the water.

"Do you know the rules?" He said quietly to Naruto and Ashi. They nodded briskly.

"No interfering directly," Naruto muttered. "We can only help with Sakura - not the actual demon."

"Indeed," Cairo nodded and turned to Yagura. "And do _you _realise and accept what must be done?"

Yagura trembled with the numbing cold and fear. He opened his mouth to reply but no words came, so he just nodded instead, his head moved so ferociously that Sakura was worried it would snap clean off the small neck.

"I think we should start with Yagura standing in the water," Sakura gestured to the silent waves. "I'll stand over there on the shore."

Cairo nodded. "We must make haste.. Sakura - you do realise that there is no time for emotion or hesitation today don't you?"

"Yes!" She snapped more harshly then she intended. She quickly patted Yagura reassuringly on the head and stepped out of the cover of the rock and onto the sand and pebbles. She already could feel the tears gathering at the corner of her eyes.

She stopped and turned to see Yagura cautiously wading in the freezing cold water. He faced her with fearful eyes and clenched his fists. Sakura could feel Haekeri scoot up closer to her conciousness once again and let him fill out her muscles and limbs while see retreated backwards into her mind. He flashed her a toothy smile.

**He'll be fine.**

_I know._

Yagura was still for a long time while they patiently waited for him to contact his demon. Naturally, it would take time to coax him out into a fight and to have the courage to let the demon take over. Sakura shivered.

**Something's happening.** Haekeri warned. Sakura narrowed her eyes as a burst of chakra exploded from Yagura's tiny body. She could hear his painful cries mixed with the wind as it whipped around the small bay like a raging tornado and enveloped him completely. The sea water rose high up into the air and sprayed her with salt. She ignored this and stood her ground, eyes peeled for Yagura to come back into sight.

**Hope you can swim. **Haekeri thought grimly.

_Doggy paddle? _She offered unhelpfully.

The water died down and fell noisily back into the sea. Where Yagura was stood, trembling moments before - was a huge shellfish looking monster. It retreated at a crawl further into the sea until only the one red eye stared hatefully back at her. She almost retched in fear - forcing herself to take in the huge purple rocky body and the three scorpion-looking tails waving dangerously.

_There must be poison in the stings at the ends of those tails, _she inwardly sighed. _I don't know why Cairo would bring us to a place where Sanbi would have the advantage.. Is he trying to get me KILLED?_

**It's better to fight like this. Without water, Sanbi would shrivel up and die.. There is no honour in a death like that. He is my enemy but he was still my comrade. Taking him down while he is at full power now - would be much more of a victory.**

Sakura sure as hell DIDN'T see but she bit her lip and nodded numbly.

Sanbi rose out of the water once again and his horned mouth broke out into a small smile.

"It is good to see you, old friend," he rumbled in a low voice. "Time has been unkind to you I see." He gave Sakura's body a fleeting glance and then settled on the entity behind her eyes.

Haekeri smiled in return. "I see that time has been unkind to you as well, Sanbi. Being forced to live in a small child with half of your original power.. Must be a difficult way to live, ne?" He spoke through Sakura's lips.

There was a low humming sound that Sakura took to be a sigh. Sanbi nodded slowly and his tails rotated more slowly.

"It gets old possessing humans that have such a short life span. I hardly even get to know my hosts any more because so quickly, they're dead and we have to struggle to find a new human before we dissolve completely," Sanbi made an irritated noise. "Be damned that we cannot survive without them."

"Only because you sold yourselves to the dark side," Haekeri reminded. "True, I cannot live on this world without the aid of humans either, but I have the option of returning back to the heavens."

Sanbi raked his grey claws over the surface of the water and scowled. "That was not my idea, master-.."

"But you followed like a lamb to the slaughter," Haekeri growled. "And now look where it's gotten you."

Sanbi's crimson eye flickered towards the rest of the group waiting silently underneath the rock. He moved back to Sakura again and fell silent.

"I am sending you on to where you should be." Haekeri finished.

"Hell's gates," the three tails nodded. "Yeah I supposed it would be there for us, sooner or later."

Sakura could sense Haekeri's slight shock as he registered these words. He inwardly growled and rustled his wings uneasily. "What do you mean by that?" He said finally.

"It has been a long time since we diverted away from your teachings," Sanbi replied. "Everything has its end; even _you_, master, will disappear one day."

"Is that a threat?"

"No. A theory."

Haekeri mused this silently and silently forced chakra into Sakura's hands and feet. Letting it circulate through her blood channels. He prepared her into a feline-like crouch, ready to spring whenever Sanbi decided to attack. Sakura kept a close watch on all three of the horned tails.

Sanbi barely blinked with his one lonely eye and gave a small smile.

"I am not going to fight." He said calmly.

"WHAT?" Came Naruto's yell from somewhere to the left of her. Haekeri stared wide-eyed at his former comrade and ticked his teeth in curiosity. Sanbi looked amused at the shocked scene before him. He shrugged and slowly came further towards the shore. Everyone visibilly tensed as he approached closer.

_He's not going to fight? Is he going to just simply give himself up? Is this just some sick dirty trick? _Sakura had so many questions.

**Sanbi isn't known for pulling tricks and lying.**

_Then what do we do now?_

He didn't answer.


	17. An Old Friend

**Ahh to be totally honest guys - it really hasn't been a good era for me to write at the moment. My creativity is being zapped dry by my A-Level Art lessons and mots of my time is now dedicated to coursework, revision, seeing the boyfriend and trying to keep my life together - so I very rarely get to find the time to be by myself and whenI do, I always seem to be so exhausted.**

**One of my Art teachers gave me some advice today. She said; "When you're doing work - you have to be passionate about it - you have to feel that it has a direction, a conciousness. You have to feel in the zone and completely absorbed by it."  
I don't know about the rest of you, but her words really inspired me there. And from now on - I'm determined to take things easier and roll with the flow.**

**:)**

**Review please?**

"... Blah ... " - Speech

_" ... Blah ... "_ - Thoughts, flashbacks and Bhadra.

**" ... Blah ..." - **Kyuubi and Haekeri

* * *

**Betrayal 3: Destiny's Darkness**

**Chapter Seventeen: An Old Friend**

**-&-**

How long had it been since he'd last seen them?

He was there when they first got together. He was the one who talked to Sakura when she felt down about her feelings, her training, her hopes and her dreams. He was the one who was there for them in such a harsh and cruel environment. He brought them up like they were his own siblings. His own crimson blood.

They hadn't changed much since he'd last seen them. The wind of the bay whipped harshly off the waters and caused Sakura's cherry blossom locks to be a flurry of pink. He could pick out the sheer blonde of Naruto, hiding under a rock nearby with a couple of others. And of course - he could see the three tails. Sanbi.

He cracked a small smile and adjusted his position on the cliff face. How should he present himself? Like Deidara used to say - '_with a BANG'._

He smiled at the memory and shook his head gently. It wasn't about to become some kind of circus with fireworks and dancing elephants.

Besides.. He was a good boy.

**-&-**

"You can't give up!" Naruto roared. "You're a freaking demon aren't you?"

Sanbi glared. "I have made my decision."

"I DON'T ACCEPT YOUR DECISION-.."

"Good," Sanbi swished his tails angrily. "I am not looking for acceptance from some pitiful human male with more testosterone than he needs. Pipe down, you inferior parasite!"

Ashi stepped forwards and clamped his hands around Naruto's mouth before he had a chance to yell obscenities. Cairo mopped his brow and patted Shu reassuringly, who was perched cautiously on his shoulder. Cairo gave Sakura a meaningful look and Haekeri translated:

**He wants us to oblige and trust Sanbi. If we were lucky enough to land a demon without resistance, than we should take it.**

_So? What if Sanbi at the last minute - decides to strike back and pull poor Yagura down into hell with hi-.._

**Not possible, **Haekeri said firmly. **I would not let that happen. Trust me.**

"Do you accept or not?" Sanbi raked his stubby claws impatiently. "Forgive me for not wanting to put off my ultimate _doom_.. If I'm going to hell then make it quick, alright?" He stopped talking and for a moment, Sakura could have sworn that his eye flickered briefly towards the cliff and back down to her again. She blinked and frowned. Was there.. _Fear__,_ in that look?

She clicked her tongue impatiently and stomped forwards a few paces. Sanbi directed his gaze towards her and didn't move.

"How do I know if I can believe you or not?" She whispered softly, regaining control of her body again while Haekeri swished to the back of her mind.

Sanbi regarded her carefully. "Believe me. There will be more hardships than facing me here now. I have learned my lesson and I'm willing to pay the price. I just hope that someday, Haekeri may see the change in me and be willing to let me come back to the heavens."

Haekeri snorted.

"He isn't happy about that?" Sanbi cracked a smile.

Sakura shook her head and furrowed her brows. "I can't risk wasting any more time talking to you, demon. I have to take Yagura back now."

"With all respect," the demon sighed. "The kid is doomed anyway. If he goes back to the village - the authority will kill him for losing their best protection. He would not stand a chance roaming the country by himself with bandits and rogue ninja."

"He's still_ our _responsibility."

"And where will he go? Hmm?" Sanbi frowned. "You'd be so willing to ditch him in some nearby town? Without protection? It isn't as if he could travel with you-.."

"Ohh _HELL NO_." Naruto yelled. "He'd get killed!"

"I know, you fool. I was trying to point that out." Sanbi snapped and raked his claws roughly over the yellow sand, leaving deep welts. Cairo cleared his throat loudly and patted Naruto reassuringly on the shoulder. He stepped forward and raised his arms up into a peace gesture and approached the demon.

"Thank you for your concern for the boy," he said softly. "But I promise to you that all will be done within our power - and more to ensure that he is safe before we move on with our journey." He stopped and looked around at them all - they nodded in agreement. Satisfied, Cairo gave a small smile. "Will you let Sakura and Haekeri do their stuff now?"

"Yes." Sanbi growled. "But make it quick."

Haekeri moved into Sakura's body once again and did the very same laced-fingers hand gesture that he had used during their battle with Nibi. Sanbi waited patiently and closed his eye, enjoying the last cooling waves lapping quietly against his shell. If she had not been so worried about the quest, her friends or her unborn child - Sakura _may _have felt some sympathy for the demon.

Again, crimson burning tendrils shot out from her fingertips and scorched their way across the sand - leaving something that looked unpleasantly like black tar in its wake. Sakura's nose wrinkled in disgust.

Haekeri had directed the tendrils so that they aimed straight for Sanbi's skull and granted him a quick death. It must have hurt beyond anything Sakura could imagine, but Sanbi didn't utter a sound as his heavy, shelled body fell limp into the gaping hole that was growing fast in the sand. Haekeri had managed to grab a hold with Yagura's spirit and was now hauling him out of the monster. As his silver head came into view out of the broken shell, Sakura's heartbeat finally slowed down and she silently commanded Haekeri to hurry up and get the kid out of danger.

A few minutes later and it was over. Sakura regained control of her body once again as Sanbi's body disappeared into the fast decreasing hole to hell's depths. She managed to tear her eyes away from the shore long enough to rake Yagura's form for any injuries.

Cairo and the others were making their way over.

"Anything to report?" He murmured.

Sakura traced her fingers over Yagura's cheekbone. "A few minor bruises and cuts. A tiny little burn.. Here," she gently tapped his forearm. "Nothing that shouldn't take more than a couple of days to heal."

"That's good," Ashi nodded. He opened his mouth to say something else but then changed his mind and closed it again. Naruto watched him carefully and dug him in the ribs.

"What?" He said quietly.

Ashi's eyes narrowed. "Anyone think this was _waaay_ too easy? I know the demon was tired of life - cared for Yagura - _whatever_.. But it isn't exactly in a monster's genetic makeup to just surrender.-.."

"Does it matter?" Sakura hissed sharply and straightened up. "We got Yagura out safely didn't we? Plus - one less demon in the world."

"But at what cost?" He retorted.

She didn't reply and moodily glared out at the ocean once more. The wind seemed to be getting worse by the second and bit at their skin viciously. Cairo wordlessly pointed to the small cave not far up the Cliffside and motioned for them to follow. He bent down and with surprising gracefulness, swept the unconscious Yagura into his arms and walked briskly to shelter, the rest following.

The cave was dripping with dried seaweed and cobwebs. Old bones and shells of hermit crabs and other such animals lay scattered in the corner. There were no chairs for Sakura to sit down and rest her weary body on – but who cares? After the wind-swept, wet hell outside – she'd be happy to take this warm shelter.

Cairo had somehow managed to gather some old dry firewood by the entrance and start a small campfire in the middle so that strange, warped shadows danced along the ceiling. She leaned back against the stony wall and closed her eyes with a small sigh. Beside her, Naruto had slid down and rested a hand protectively over her stomach.

On the other side, Ashi and Cairo were talking softly about the encounter they'd just experienced. Someone had thrown a makeshift blanket over the sleeping Yagura - Shu sleeping on his legs. All the excitement had tired the ferret out.

"What is it?" Naruto whispered and raised an eyebrow. "You have a really freaked out expression on your face."

"Nothing," she replied automatically. Seeing his other eyebrow raise, she sighed. "I just.. Have a bad feeling I guess."

"A bad feeling?"

"Y-Yeah." Haekeri was sleeping silently at the back of her mind - it wouldn't be worth it to wake him up in order to get him to hear her paranoid thoughts. Sakura sighed again and hugged her knees to her chest and watched the flames dance.

"Tell me," the blonde chided gently. "What are you thinking?"

"Nothing."

Naruto rolled his eyes dramatically. "Sakura – we've been in the same team and best friends for what? Ten or twelve years now? Plus we're _married _as well! That is.." He trailed off and bit his lip. ".. You've fallen for.. Someone else?"

"Shut up, jerk," she grinned half-heartedly and nudged him with a knee. "I only plan on marrying _one _idiot in my lifetime."

He snorted and slid an arm around her shoulders. "So tell me what this bad feeling is, ne?"

Outside, the sky flashed and there was a loud sound of raindrops pelting the side of the cliff. She shivered.

Their attention was suddenly caught by a strange hissing and spitting. Shu seemed to be wide awake – his fur stood up on end and his teeth bared threateningly. Sakura followed his vicious gaze towards the cave entrance.

She saw a flash of red and black. She tensed.

"AKATSUKI!" Naruto roared and positioned his body in front of her – kunai flashing from his pouch and already spinning between his fingers. Cairo and Ashi has taken up a similar stance and blocked Yagura from view.

The yells had also woken Haekeri and he yawned blearily for a few seconds, before registering the threat they faced. He grinned – teeth shining unpleasantly.

_Calm down. Our job is to fight the demons, not these murderous lowlifes. _She reminded.

**That does not mean that we cannot take a few chucks out of them. **He growled darkly.

"Evenin' guys and gals!" The Akatsuki member called cheerily.

Nobody had any kind of reply to that. Sakura gritted her teeth and stared deep into the darkness outside – barely making out the badly stitched and torn clouds on the man's jacket. Something about his deep and playful voice panged strangely with her memory. Her brow furrowed as she tried to recall the voice. Her mind seemed so… Fuzzy.

The newcomer was visibly disappointed at their lack of return greeting. She could her him sigh sadly And step forwards a few paces so now that his cloak was more apparent.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Cairo demanded calmly. He was holding some kind of a spiked weapon that Sakura had not seen before. It looked heavy but the old man seemed to be able to hold it and wave it around without any trouble.

The stranger coughed. "Aww man.. And here I was, hoping for a nice reunion party.. _They, _know me." A metal plated hand shot out of the darkness and pointed directly at herself and Naruto. Naruto automatically moved closer to her.

"We can't see you," he smirked. "Come out and show us your face, ehh?" He gripped the kunai expectantly and prepared to strike.

The stranger spluttered with laughter and tried to pass it off as a bad cough. He stepped forwards into the cave and the warmth. The shadows from the dancing flames reached his navy sandals and dark trousers. They made their way to his upper body and shoulders – a couple of metal plates glistened on his shoulder blades. As the light reached his head, Sakura stopped. Her mouth dropped open in conjunction with Naruto's. The cave fell silent as they started dumbstruck – at the newcomer.

The newcomer's bright, orange mask.

"… Tobi.." Naruto whispered.

Sakura hardly heard. Her eyes scanned the flawless welts of the mask and the dark hole that held a dark, obsidian eye behind it. The eye locked with her own and she suddenly felt her knees go weak and the floor suddenly in front of her face. There was a yell and someone had managed to scoop her up in their arms - but she couldn't make out anything beyond the rushing in her ears and the orange veil covering her sight.

Tobi scratched the back of his head and shook the raindrops from his hair. He shrugged his plated arms from the sodden Akatsuki coat and tossed it to the corner of the cave. His was wearing a thick, navy sweater identical to his trousers. There was a badly wrapped bandage on one of his hands.

"Uh.. Everything okay?" He asked stupidly. "You all look as if you've seen a ghost!"

"We _would _have if Ashi didn't already tell us you were alive when we first met him." Naruto snarled and adjusted the delirious Sakura in his arms.

Tobi nodded. "Yeah - the little squirt saved me from those darn ANBU," he trailed off and stared at Ashi. "Though I see he 'aint so little anymore."

"Tobi," Ashi nodded in greeting. "How have you been? It's been a while."

Tobi shrugged. "Akatsuki's fallen apart - though I expect your dad already told you that.. - well, can't complain though. Trackers seem to have gotten more stupid lately - they barely follow me for more than a day. It's not as fun as when me and Deidara.." his shoulders sagged. "Oh man.. I sure miss Deidara."

"Fucking hell," Naruto hissed. "Don't tell me they're gonna show up here too!"

"Doubtful," Tobi sang in a sing-song voice. "Deidara might have gotten squashed by that Sasuke kid by now - I don't know. Did Ashi tell you I didn't return to the organization since you and Sakura left?"

"He mentioned it." The blonde replied stiffly.

"Good." The ex-Akatsuki rubbed his hands enthusiastically and settled himself down by the campfire - which roared with more life. He stared expectantly around at the others staring at him. He motioned for them to sit.

Cairo caught Naruto's eyes and his hands tightened on his weapon. Naruto shook his head for a signal that they shouldn't attack and sighed.

"Sakura - you okay hon?"

She closed her eyes. "I need sleep. Desperately." The wave of surprise still made her a little shaky and Naruto kept an arm firmly around her waist to keep her from toppling over. She glared hard at the idiot in the mask.

"Why are you here, Tobi?"

"To see my old comrades of course," there was a smile in his voice. "If you will all sit with me - I'll tell more."

With a lot of help from Naruto, Sakura was seated opposite her old friend with Cairo, Ashi, Shu and the now-awake Yagura sat between them. Cairo had dug around in his pouch of supplies and had found a bag of soldier pills – which were being passed around the small circle and gratefully quelled their hunger pangs.

Sakura's eyes hardly left that orange mask. She could see that Tobi had noticed her non-stop staring, but thankfully had not said anything and deliberately not stared back.

Tobi.

Her _friend_, Tobi.

He was back.

"You know-.." she said softly. "When Ashi told us you were still alive, we didn't even believe him at first. It took a lot of convincing."

"As expected," Tobi murmured. "You were always really insistent on questions – Sakura."

She snorted. "Only because you never bothered to ask any. You always dived head first into missions without even bothering to ask what the damn aim was!"

Tobi shrugged. "It was all good fun in the end."

"I suppose so," she pointed to his bandaged hand. "I also see you've taken none of my medical advice. You realise you're risking infection with that useless effort? It's so like you."

"It's just a scratch from a couple of days ago," he cocked his head to the side. "Doesn't hurt.. Anyway, what's pinky and the fox been up to since I saved your lives, eh? Judging from those rings, I doubt you're still only friends."

"Married," Naruto smirked. "And how's your love life?"

"Absolutely raging, thanks." Tobi replied drily and helped himself to another food pill. Cairo sat back and patted his full stomach under his frayed robes. He brought out a canteen of water and drank heartedly from it, before replacing it back to his pouch.

"So then," the old man smiled. "What can we do for you?"

"The question is, what can _I _do for _you_? I guess you could say I'm here to offer myself up," he shrugged. "If you're huntin' those big ol' demons. I wanna help."

"And how did you come to know our aim?"

"Word gets around." Tobi replied darkly and a heavy, troubled silence fell on them all. Sakura glanced sideways to see that Yagura had fallen asleep on her shoulder and was snoring softly. She laid him down and covered him with the makeshift blanket once again. Shu darted onto her lap. His eyes bore deeply into hers and Haekeri watched silently.

_"Haekeri_," the ferret whispered in Bhadra. "_I really don't trust this guy yeah? He really freaks me out. I'm getting a bad vibe."_

_"Tobi is fine_," Sakura replied in the same tongue. She ignored the curious looks form her friends and concentrated on the small, quivering animal. "_He is an old friend of mine - we used to work together. Tobi saved both me and Naruto a long time ago. I'm angry at him for disappearing for so long but if he comes here - willingly - to offer his help. I'm not gonna refuse it."  
_

_"Guy's an Akatsuki," _the ferret grunted. _"How do we know that we wouldn't slit our throats while we sleep? How do we know that he wouldn't put a kunai in our backs when we least suspect it?"_

_"Because he's Tobi." _She replied firmly.

The orange-masked man cleared his throat. "Uhh.. Anyone else notice that she's talking to a ferret? And it's talking back?"

Cairo smiled. "Shu - the ferret is very special. He has been travelling with us.. Now - would you care for some tea, Master Tobi?"

Sakura tuned out of the small chat that everyone else was partaking in. She fell deep into her thoughts and found her eyes wandering back to him every so often. She inwardly sighed.

_Cairo averted telling him about you, didn't he?_

**Tobi is innocent until proving guilty, **the dragon replied softly. **I'm siding with Shu on this one. It will take a lot of trust for me to listen to the likes of an ex-Akatsuki. For now - Cairo has made the sensible decision of not letting him know of my identity. However - he still suspects that I exist of course. I wonder what he'd do if he realized that he and I both are technically in the same cave?**

_He's Tobi. _She replied stubbornly.

**He's ex-Akatsuki.**

_I'm ex-Akatsuki._

**I can see every thought you've ever had. You bear no ill intentions. Same goes for Naruto. **The dragon shifted his wings uneasily. He was suspicious of the orange-clad man sitting just across from them.

_We'll be fine. _She thought encouragingly.

**Innocent until proven guilty. **He repeated.

Sakura had noticed that the fire had very slowly been burning down – the wood disappearing fast. There was no more sounds from the rain outside, so she offered to go out onto the cliff face and hunt down more wood. When Naruto and Ashi both insisted on going to accompany her, she smiled and said no. It was then Cairo, who suggested that Tobi go with her – much to their shock, Before she and Tobi exited the cave – she turned back to see Cairo's unspoken message in his gaze: Be careful. Find out what you can.

"Ne, Sakura?" A hand waved in front of her face.

"Sorry," she smiled apologetically and placed another piece of wood in Tobi's arms. "I'm really tired today."

"Oh, how come?"

**Lie.**

"Naruto's been training me and Ashi all day. After six hours of chakra manipulation – it gets tiring. Even for me as a medic and Naruto who has so much damn chakra!"

Tobi giggled. "Not much has changed then from what I can remember."

"No, not much at all."

"I still remember that very day when you were upset because you thought Naruto didn't have feelings for you. I found you all sad and depressed in the training grounds near the base," he sighed fondly. "You remember?"

**-&-**

"_Sakura?" A voice said. She clutched her fists and turned to swear at what she thought was that__damn blonde shinobi. Luckily though, it was only Tobi and no one else._

"_Sakura?" He repeated, sitting down beside her on an old log. "Are you ok?"_

"_Come on Tobi, you not that stupid are you?" Indeed she was right. All he would have to do it take a glance at her red cheeks, tear stained face and puffy eyes to realise what had happened. "I look like some kind of blow fish." She sniffed._

_He chuckled quietly. "Blow fishes aren't beautiful. Anyway, yeah I do kinda know what's going on, we could hear you shouting about something but we were too busy trying to sleep ya know…"_

"_God – I'm so sorry!" She apologised. "When I let rip – I just can't control myself."_

_He nodded and sighed contently, gazing up toward the sky from the one eye hole in his orange mask. "I like the clouds. You can just sit and look at them all day – the shapes they transform into are amazing. One day is something like an animal, another day its an object in your everyday life," she could tell from the tone of his voice that he was grinning under his mask. She had enough practice from observing Kakashi for many years to tell that. Tobi continued to speak._

"_Clouds are more or less carefree. They glide from one side of the world to another, sometimes torn apart completely or made whole," he paused and looked back at her. "Naruto is the closest thing to a cloud that I have ever seen in all my years of living. He floats on day by day protecting his friends and having fun. When he is sad he separates from the cheerful side of himself, when he is with you – he feels complete."__  
_

_Sakura silently listened intently to Tobi's rare wise words. In truth, she had never thought of comparing Naruto to something as carefree before, if she'd had her way then Naruto would be described as a runaway train for his hyper activeness. But she knew on some level that Tobi was right._

**-&-**

"Sakura? You alright?"

She smiled. "I'm fine. I was just.. Remembering – that's all." She pushed the hair away from her eyes and stared down at the bright moon above. Next to her, Tobi had fallen silent and followed her gaze.

"I missed you guys, you know." He said softly.

"We thought you were dead," she said bitterly. "We thought you'd recklessly thrown your life away for us. When we met Ashi and he told us he'd met you..." She trailed off, lost for words. He nodded, seeming to understand her unspoken emotion.

"I'm sorry," he sighed. "I should have gotten in touch or something-.."

"What's done is done. It's ok."

"Still.." he paused. "It's taken me a long time to track you down. There were whispers that some pink-headed chick and her friends were running around looking for demons. I immediately thought of the only person I've ever seen to have pink hair of course... I was worried about your safety - but it seems that you've got the bodyguard front already sorted.-.. Oh! That reminds me.." he turned to her. "I'm guessing you'd be looking for a home for the kid or something? I saw you with the demon earlier. That was some heavy stuff."

He eyes bugled. "You _saw? _And yes, we need somewhere safe to send him."

He nodded triumphantly. "As it so happens - I know a nice family in the Fire country that would be more than happy to take him in. They'd be good parents to him. They have two more foster kids."

"That sounds great!"

He chuckled. "In fact, they actually took me in when I was sixteen and had just run away from home. I stayed with them for a few years and then joined the Akatsuki. I'm twenty-nine now, if you're wondering."

"Twenty-one," She replied. "So you're my elder huh?"

"Oh yeah definitely," he nodded. "I'm older and wiser and smarter and stronger."

"And stupider."She smirked.

"That too."

They fell silent once again and stared at the silent moon above. Down below on the shore, the tide had come in for the night and was lapping softly against the cliff - the beach somewhere beneath it. She gazed at the patterns on the horizon.

"Did you come across Itachi by any chance?"

He turned to her. "Hmm?"

"Have you seen or talked to Itachi since you left?" She repeated.

"A little," Tobi admitted. "Told me about Ashi before I went searching for him. Itachi seemed a lot like a broken guy - not at all how he used to be in the organisation. Not power hungry," he paused and gently rubbed his plated shoulder. "I was shocked to find out that he had a kid."

"Me too," she recalled. "It's strange imagining that Itachi even had a love life. He really doesn't seem like the type of guy."

"He doesn't," Tobi agreed and giggled. "I honestly don't _want _to think about it, to be honest."

"It makes you wonder though, doesn't it?" she continued to babble. "If any other of the other Uchiha's are alive today and how would they react to this? I don't know.. It just makes me really curious." She blushed.

"… Yeah." Tobi replied.


	18. Foetus

**Hey guys – hope you're enjoying the story xD. Anyways, It's currently 12:25AM on a Saturday morning and I'm jamming away to my lovely iPod and in a writing mood. Annoyingly though, I should be revising for my Sociology exam next month – awww =( Ahh I need some good studying exam revision tips please! I find it so hard and stressful to study – because I know that I want to write or go on xbox instead – I get so distracted.**

**Review Pwease (:**

"... Blah ... " - Speech

_" ... Blah ... "_ - Thoughts, flashbacks and Bhadra.

**" ... Blah ..." - **Kyuubi and Haekeri

* * *

**Betrayal 3: Destiny's Darkness**

**Chapter Eighteen: Foetus**

**-&-**

"I'm getting fat."

Sakura glared into the large, silver mirror again and squinted at her exposed stomach. She tugged her netted top higher and scowled at the small bump protruding from her body. She imagined an outline of a foot or a small hand shoving out of the skin. She shivered.

"In the mirror, _again_?" Naruto had appeared from behind with a stupid amused expression on his face. She scowled again and pointed wordlessly to her stomach.

"What am I supposed to be looking at here, honey?"

"The fat," she sighed. "Your child is making me all lumpy." She stared accusingly at him and buried her head into his shoulder, letting her shirt fall back into position. Naruto sighed and kissed her fondly on the forehead.

"Idiot," he teased and poked her nose. "All women are _supposed _to gain weight during pregnancy. And you aren't fat."

"Am," she pouted and turned back towards the mirror. "Did Tobi return from the Fire Country yet?"

Naruto nodded slowly. "He took Yagura to that family he said he knew of.. Cairo's still a bit suspicious of all this," he sighed. "In some way, I wish Tobi had never found us again. It's caused more problems than we need."

"Such as?"

Naruto groaned and sat himself on the purple sofa and propped himself up with pillows, staring intently at her. "_Such as_.. He's already told us that trackers go after him don't they? Plus we'll have hunters of our own trying to stop us from getting the rest of the demons.. Remember Zabuza's lackeys?"

She nodded wearily. "But together, aren't we stronger? Do we not have more of a chance of surviving?"

"We do, bu-.."

"No buts," she said firmly. "With Haekeri, Shu and Cairo suspicious about Tobi, it's up to me, you and Ashi to set things right and win them over," she sighed and crouched next to Naruto's head. "At least we have another old friend with us now. Another set of memories to pass the time."

Naruto grimaced and leaned forward to capture her lips. The kiss was slow and tender as their lips brushed slowly together like smooth silk. Sakura sighed contently and wound her arms around his neck, tangling her hands in his messy locks and bringing him closer. He replied with a low moan and gently nibbled her lip - asking for permission before delicately exploring her mouth with his dainty tongue.

"We're going to spend the rest of our lives together," he broke off with great effort and smiled softly. "Live in a big house. Have lots of kids. Being allowed to make love to you every night," he blushed lightly. "All of that - is very special to me. Stupid little issues - like you think you're getting fat.. Baby, I really don't care. You could be _hundreds _of pounds and I'd still love you the way I do now, ok?"

"When did you get so wise?" She sniffed.

He grinned and gently pressed his mouth to hers once again. "When you told me I'm going to be a father.. It finally hit me properly. I need to start acting my age and working hard to be the best husband and father and Hokage that I can be," he smirked and leaned towards her ear. "Believe it."

At that point, the small hotel room door banged open and Tobi strolled in, whistling cheerfully. He caught sight of Naruto and Sakura both glaring hard at him and he stopped.

"I uh..," he scratched his head. "Ruined a moment ehh?"

"You could say that." Naruto replied stiffly. He detached himself from Sakura and rose up to face the orange-clad man. "What's the plan? Which direction are we heading in?"

"North-West. Cairo says he may know the shortest passage there."

"Good. That means we won't have to tiptoe back around the Leaf village."

Sakura's eyebrows furrowed. She stood up and looked from one man to the next. "Woahh. Am I missing something here?"

"Battle tactics," Tobi grunted and helped himself to the now vacated sofa. "Four-tails is in the Rock village and we gotta bust our asses to get in and out quickly before they catch onto us," he paused. "No easy task."

"Nothing we haven't faced before," Naruto growled and ran a hand through his hair. "Cairo got a plan yet?"

"Ashi had a good one - it involved us getting into disguises and sneaking into the village through the breach points like rats. I vetoed."

"We'll have to think of something while we travel.."

"Yes, definitely-.."

"Hey!" Sakura hissed. She glared at them both. "Why haven't I been let in on your special little meetings? Aren't I the one that's supposed to be kicking serious demon ass, here?"

"Sure," Tobi nodded. ".. But then wonder boy here, went and knocked you up," he pointed towards her small bump. "Congratulations by the way.."

She scowled at Naruto. "You better hope your lucky stars that the next words out of your mouth aren't; 'It's only for your protection'!"

He rolled his eyes. "But it _is _for your protection honey.. You're a medic - you should know the risks that stress will do to the baby. And Sakura," he sighed. "You're especially prone to stress. Remember when we had to get you to a hospital after we found Kimoko?"

"I'm much better at dealing with it now!" Her face flushed crimson partly in embarrassment that Tobi was hearing all of this and partly out of frustration. She clenched her fists. "Naruto Uzumaki - I want you to tell me every detail of the journey ahead - _I mean it_!"

"Can't do that, Sakura," Tobi shook his head. "I'm actually with Naruto on this one - you don't need to be worrying about this stuff."

"But-.."

"But nothing," Naruto said firmly and placed his hands on her shoulders. When she tried to look away, he shook her so that they were eye to eye. "Sakura - you agreed to bring Ashi and I along for extra protection while you fight and emotional support.. That _also _includes making all the details while you can relax and prepare for the next battle - do you understand?"

"I'm fi-.."

"Sooo," Naruto cut over her loudly. "That means you can kick back in this nice little hotel room here and soak up all the hot water and food you want to. Let us bodyguards handle everything okay? Don't look at me like that honey - you know it makes sense." He grinned triumphantly and stepped forward, cradling her in his arms and chucking her onto the pure white bed. She prepared to hurl a string of curses at them both - but with a slam and the sound of a key locking, Naruto and Tobi had returned downstairs to carry on their little business meeting without her.

"This sucks," she murmured softly. ".. Treating me like a child."

_"I agree with them_._" _ Shu had crawled out from his slumber from under the dressing table. He stretched very feline-like across the carpet and patted softly over to the bed. Sakura sighed.

_"I understand what a nice thing they're trying to do for me and everything," _she bit her lip. _"But Naruto has his own demon problems. Ashi has his family problems and we're all worrying about whether we'll live to return to our village or not."  
_

_"True," _Shu said carefully. _"But by getting you to relax a lot more - would put their minds at ease. Because they know that facing the next demon with your full power and nothing to distract you.. Well, it's comforting." _He yawned and gently lifted a tan paw to scratch behind his ear. He noticed Sakura's gaze on him and he cocked his head to the side, very Tobi-like.

_"What's the matter? You're staring at me."  
_  
_"Sorry, it's nothing really.. I was just thinking - you sleep a lot, don't you Shu?"_

A toothy grin spread across his face. _"That sore-minded old reptile didn't explain why?"  
_

Sakura's eyebrows rose. She watched Haekeri snorting in her mind's eye. He scratched his golden scales carelessly and nodded.

**Shu is very much like us. When he uses a lot of power - he tires himself out and finds himself being more lazy and unable to move. It's only very rarely that he passes out completely and will not wake for days. While we are travelling or fighting or sleeping, Shu is communicating with Fafnir in the heavens and filling him in on every detail of our journey to check if we are going with the correct choices - Fafnir cannot interfere directly, but he can influence us and drop hints.**

While Haekeri had been talking, Shu had been watching her facial expressions carefully with an amused look. After the dragon had finished his explanation, Shu puffed his body up proudly and swept his tail pompously.

_"Bet you thought I was idle and not much use, eh?"_

Sakura blushed. _"A... Little.."  
_

The ferret shook his head in mock disappointment. _"Nah it's alright, kid. It was the dragon's fault for not clueing you in on my job properly anyways."  
_

Sakura nodded and spread out tiredly on the huge spotless bedspread. She kicked off her sandals – the silk feeling good between her toes and fingers. Shu had disappeared again somewhere – assumedly to send more messages to Fafnir – so Sakura spent the morning having a long, long shower and lathering her hair until it felt as soft as the silk bed.

Naruto and the others did not return up to see her until mid afternoon – when Naruto dropped by to bring her a huge tray of assorted foods for lunch and a bottle of orange juice. After a quick kiss and a grope of her butt, he was off again to return to the rest of the group. So then Sakura was left alone to try and find things to occupy the hours that dragged slowly on by.

It was around nine in the evening when the hotel room door slammed shut and Naruto tiredly locked the door behind him and tossed the keys into the corner with his jacket. Sakura didn't bother to look up from the small television set. She was barely watching the stupid sitcom about a man with three wives so her eyes wandered into space a lot. The mattress sagged slightly as Naruto slipped into bed next to her and smiled.

"You're pissed off at me aren't you?" He asked sheepishly. Sakura's only reply was to flick the television off and turn on her side away from him. A few moments later, Naruto sighed and pulled her close, wrapped his arms around her frame and intertwining their fingers. She could feel his warm breath on her neck and a shiver ran down her spine as he gently kissed her exposed shoulder.

"Tell me," he purred. "Tell me why you're mad."

"Ditched me in this room on my own," she burst out in a quiet hiss. "And then locked me in this damn place. It felt like I was..."

He pressed his ear closer. "Like you were what?"

She gulped. "L-Like I was back in the prison cell in Konoha. When we returned to warn them about Orochimaru and they didn't believe us at first.. Then they put us in that hellhole.."

The next few seconds were silent and all that could be heard was their breathing. Naruto's body stiffened and he covered his face with a hand.

"Oh crap. Sakura - I'm so, so sorry."

"It-.."

"Oh man.. I didn't even _think_.."

"Naruto-.."

"Jeez - what was I thin-.."

"NARUTO!" She said exasperatedly. "It's fine - really. That happened a long, long time ago didn't it? It's seriously fine honey.. I forgive you - you didn't realize or remember it okay? It really isn't your fault.. I was just being moody being bored all day while you guys got to have all the fun." She grinned half-heartedly.

"Battle plans aren't fun," he replied softly. "When I signed up to be a ninja - I expected more action. Anyone who knows me - automatically knows that me and tactics don't work."

"You just jump into fights," she finished. "You and Tobi are so damn similar, it's scary. It would only take one word and the both of you would be the first in there without any kind of common sense."

"Heyyy," he sounded stung. "Tobi and I get the job done."

"Between you both - there are about three brain cells." She snapped a little more harshly than intended. She sighed and turned until Naruto's torso met with her own. She gazed into his warm cerulean eyes and kissed him tenderly.

"I'm so in love with you." He murmured and pushed a couple of stray hairs away from her eyes. She smiled in reply and their lips met once again.

**-&-**

The next few days went by pretty quickly. There were a couple of more meetings concerning the journey ahead, but Naruto didn't bother going to them anymore and stayed in the hotel room with Sakura - much to her pleasure. It was only until the late evenings that either Ashi or Tobi would come upstairs and quietly whisper to Naruto what the current situation was, and he would nod, poker-faced and ignore Sakura's curious looks. Whenever she slyly asked him what was going on, Naruto smiled and told her not to worry. And then the conversation would suspiciously always change to something else...

"We need to get going today, honey," Naruto said suddenly after a rushed breakfast one morning. "Cairo finally thought of a good plan we can use."

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "Which is?"

"You'll find out when we finalize the details. I promise." He kissed her temples and smiled triumphantly while she rolled her eyes.

"Shouldn't I find out now though?" She persisted. "To you know - prepare myself." She stayed stony-faced as Naruto stayed silent and contemplated her words. He shook his head and grinned.

"You can't break me."

"Darn it."

"Aww come on - I thought you liked surprises," he sighed. "I don't have infinite patience you know. I'd like to tell you at least the basic plan - but first we need to sort out a few safety details with getting into the Rock villag-.."

"AHA! So it involves somehow getting past security into the Rock village now, does it?" She smirked as a dark look was on his face.

"Don't tell them I accidently let that slip," he sighed. "But yes, we obviously can't just stroll in - seize the container and waltz out again. They'll be people protecting him or her _plus _possible trackers and hunters. If they find us - two demon containers, an Akatsuki and the 'illusion' boy.. Well, they'll have a freaking field day."

"Can't you tell me a little more though?" She whined.

He shook his head. "No." He said firmly. "But I need to go talk to Ashi quickly - can you pack our bags and meet by reception?"

"Do I have a choice?" She mumbled while he kissed her and disappeared into the hallway outside.

The very next morning, they left the small comforting warmth of the hotel and slipped back into the Fire Country. Cairo had estimated their journey to only be about a day longer - if they boycotted the Leaf village completely and headed West to the small town of Tanzaka Gai. There, they would rest for a night and travel onto the Border town and then North towards Iwa. Two weeks at the maximum before they'd meet the four tails.

Cairo had also ditched the small western van and decided that they'd be more stealthier on foot. Sakura gulped at the thought of being in such close proximity to her home. Her friends. Her life.

_The place where I'll return to, once this damn adventure is over._

**That's the spirit. **Haekeri yawned sleepily.

They were now currently pacing quickly through a thick roof of wet trees. Naruto suggested running - probably not looking forward to the thought of being close to home any more than Sakura did - but Ashi was the one to point out that one of them would have to carry Cairo.

"Thank you for the concern Ashi," the old man said politely. "But I would be able to keep up."

"For long distances and periods of time?" Tobi said uncertainly. "You could do that?"

"If I must."

"It would still wear you out and we don't really have time to stop any longer than one evening," Naruto pointed out. "Cairo - you aren't a machine. Eventually, you'll end up a wreck after two weeks running."

Cairo nodded gracefully. "Would that not be a small price to pay for speeding up the amount of time in which both you and Miss Sakura can finish this journey and go home?"

Silence met his words and Sakura clenched Naruto's arm. She bit her lip and moved her gaze to the ground - a guilty feeling welling in her heart.

"No," Naruto said firmly and looked at the girl next to him. "Of course we're desperate to go back to our lives - we _all _are.. But since Sakura was dragged into all of this and can't exactly slow down herself - I'm gonna make sure that everyone stays in top shape," he shrugged. "It's what I signed up for."

Cairo smiled. "You are growing, Mr. Uzumaki."

Naruto smiled in return and ignored the blatant snorts from both Ashi and Tobi.

"So we will walk then," Cairo continued. "At a fast pace of course. I do not relish the idea of being a sitting duck for trackers and hunters."

"I could really go for duck now," Tobi said conversationally as they began walking again. "Chinese style duck. Duck chow mein and egg and chicken fried rice with odango balls."

"Soy sauce." Ashi drooled.

"Stop!" Sakura complained, her stomach gave a loud rumble. "You're making me hungry!"

"Come on Naruto," Tobi continued. "Even you can't say that you aren't seriously craving miso Ramen with extra noodles and miso. The delicious hot, creamy texture.. Running down your parched throat-.."

"Ahh shut up, Tobi," Naruto growled. "Before my fist goes down your throat."

Tobi giggled. "I forgot how much like Deidara, you act. Of course though – he was more manly, and decided to try shoving clay birds down my throat."

"Ugh Tobi," Sakura detached herself from Naruto and went to walk side-by-side with the orange-clad man. "Please let me fix those bandages for you.. They're really annoying me.."

He inspected his injured hand quickly. "Nah, don't worry about it. If infection sets in.. Well – what doesn't kill me will only make me stronger." He laughed loudly and gave her a fleeting look under his mask. She frowned.

"As a medic, I'm required to check on my teammates if they're hurt. That means even if they don't want to be treated.. I can use any means necessary." She cracked her knuckles.

"I told _you_, it's okay. Plus – we can't stop and waste time to worry about something that really isn't a big deal. Yes?"

Sakura looked unsure. "You.. Sure?"

"_Positive_. Now scuttle back over to lover-boy over there. He looks jealous." Tobi laughed again.


	19. Four tailed Yonbi

**Hey again – wow I'm feeling so motivated lately to write (: By the way, I have two oneshots that I've nearly finished to be uploaded on here the next couple of weeks or so. If you wanna be among the first to read, add me to your alert lists and tell me what ya think :P**

**Rawrrr.. sooo much work.**

**Review please.**

"... Blah ... " - Speech

_" ... Blah ... "_ - Thoughts, flashbacks and Bhadra.

**" ... Blah ..." - **Kyuubi and Haekeri

* * *

**Betrayal 3: Destiny's Darkness**

**Chapter Nineteen: Four Tailed Yonbi**

**-&-**

_Why the hell did I agree to this?_

Naruto tugged down the bottom of his new navy jacket so that it didn't strain so much against the muscles beneath it. He sighed and placed the fake Rock headband around his flat blonde locks. He had to admit that Cairo did pretty well in the costume department and acquiring the items of clothing. That old man would never cease to amaze.

They had been camping somewhere around the borders of Iwa for at least a week - whatever, he didn't much keep track anymore... Much to his wife's irritation - they had kept the details of their plan secret down to the very last detail. Tonight, they would tell her everything and try to infiltrate the village.

"Whiskers." Said a voice from behind. Naruto dropped the hem of his jacket and spun on his heel to see Ashi holding two containers. The Uchiha kid held up one and waved it. He tossed it to Naruto, who caught it.

"What's this?" Naruto eyed the container suspiciously.

"Some make up stuff that Sakura recommended," Ashi shrugged, smirking. "Cairo says you'd be KOS if you walked in there with those whisker marks. The Rock ninja will recognize you immediately."

Naruto scowled. "Make up? Seriously?"

"Tobi found it very amusing too. That is until Cairo informed him that _he'd _be working on the outside. Tobi likes action."

"You don't say," Naruto said dryly. "Ashi - do you really expect me to wear this crap?"

"I don't," Ashi said slowly. "But the rest of the team do. If you're so bent on Sakura's safety and the safety of us all - you'll disguise yourself, and you'll like it, Naruto.. Anyway, it can't be for _that _long anyway."

Naruto sighed, defeated. "Fine, fine." He picked up the small compact mirror and glared at his reflection. He dug his hand into the small pot of concealer and plastered it onto his cheeks, grimacing at the smell. At the corner of his eye, Ashi had a huge grin on his face. Naruto stuck up his two fingers and breathed with relief as Ashi left the room.

Ten minutes later, he found the rest of the group waiting patiently for him in the small camp they'd made. Ashi had obviously told the rest of them about Naruto's make-up needs and Tobi spluttered with laughter as soon as the blonde came into view.

"Shut it," he hissed. "Before I crack that damn mask in two."

Tobi giggled again. "You'd have to catch me first."

"Ignore him," Sakura sighed. "You look great, Naruto. You can hardly tell it's there."

"Yes," Cairo agreed. "It was a very good idea. I know you really do not appreciate it Naruto, but it _is _necessary."

"Yeah, yeah." Naruto muttered. He moodily sat in the dirt and began tracing patterns in the mud with his fingertips. Sakura turned to Cairo.

"So what's the plan?"

The old man smiled softly. "With the exception of Tobi and myself - we are going to be infiltrating Iwa. You and Naruto will pose as newlyweds on your honeymoon, while Ashi and Shu will take on different roles - I even took the liberty of creating some false documents for you to hand over to security. Of course it won't distract them forever, but for as long as we're hunting the fourth - they should tide us over," the old man broke off to shuffle some papers in his arms. "There is an old, abandoned quarry to the west of here in which Tobi and I will wait for you. If we do not hear anything for two weeks then we will enter the village ourselves-.."

"That's too dangerous," Ashi interrupted. "Walking in with a well-known Akatsuki.. It's suicide."

"All people remember of me is my mask and my cloak," Tobi shrugged. "If I take them off then ka-boom.. The perfect disguise."

"You'd take off your mask?" Sakura gaped.

He nodded. "If worst came to worst. Don't worry - I have complete faith in you guys not to screw up, though."

"Gee thanks," Naruto muttered and glanced at Cairo again. "So while we're in the village, we search for this person right? Did you get any information on a gender or appearance?"

"None," Cairo sighed. "Iwa is particularly cautious of who knows their business. But while you four are in their boundaries - I have given you some money to rent an apartment for the week or so if needed."

"Great," Sakura smirked. "Undercover. Stealth is my middle name-.."

"Before or after 'Butch'?" Tobi giggled and danced away as Sakura pulled up a fistful of tree roots and launched them at him. Naruto frowned and took a glance at the high walls of the Rock village. He'd down undercover missions before with the rest of Team 7 - but nothing at all compared to the danger that they'd be in if they were caught. Chances were, that if the authority got some kind of sniff that they were there to take down their demon - their special forces would take them down in _seconds_.

"Can we talk over the escape plan?" Ashi murmured, reading Naruto's expression. Cairo scratched his head thoughtfully.

"I do not expect you to fail so I doubt we would reach that stage.. But if something should go wrong along the way.. My advice would be to split up individually and meet at the quarry anyway. If you're followed by their ninja.." A dark expression appeared on his face. "Then the quarry would be perfect for hiding the evidence would it not?"

No one answered as the weight of his words fell upon their shoulders. Nobody wanted to be the ones to kell innocent, fellow ninja just protecting their homes and their loved ones.

**Kill them all and be done with it already. **Naruto visibly flinched as Kyuubi's voice passed so close to his ears. He saw the fox in his mind, rocking backwards and forwards on his hind legs - as if preparing to leap.

_I'm not killing innocents._

The fox's grin widened. He paced closer to Naruto's conscious. **That's the trouble with you, kit - you ain't got a spine strong enough to stand power, do you? You're weak inside. You know you are.**

_Whatever. I'd much rather be weak and dead than be a murderous inferno like yourself._

Kyuubi shrugged, not bothering to reply. He sat down in the corner of Naruto's mind and the blonde couldn't help but notice the thinning patch's of fur on the fox's rear end. He let his concentration travel to the darkened circles under his eyes and the way he breathed irregularly. Seeing that Naruto was concentrating on his appearance, Kyuubi snapped loudly and wildly. He began to fade out and then - blackness. Kyuubi had set up a mental block.

_Damn fox... _Naruto forgot almost at once about Kyuubi when he heard his name being called.

"What? Sorry - wasn't listening."

"I saiiiid," Tobi repeated. "That's it's time for you guys to get going. It's nearly dawn."

Naruto glance at Sakura, Ashi and Shu who already had their bags on and were waiting for him to shake out of the daydream. He fumbled around with getting his backpack on and weapons in his pouch. Cairo walked with them out of the small camp and through the dense, wet trees. There was little talk - perhaps due to everyone's nervousness at the scale of their next mission. Only a few more minutes passed by and Cairo had led them to a large dirt track that would go straight on up to the village gates.

"Good luck." Was all the old man said and he patted each of them on the back and shuffled back into the safe cover of the forest again. It suddenly felt way too hot and Naruto was worried that the concealer would end up melting off his face. Sakura's must have sense the tension because she slid her cold, clammy hand into his with a brave expression on her face.

"Ready?" Ashi said quietly, slipping Shu into his backpack.

Naruto glances at Sakura and nodded numbly. He was doing this for her.. He was doing this for _her.._

The sun was barely coming up over the horizon, but that did not stop the warm air coming visibly out of their mouths. Naruto was very glad that Cairo had thought to supply them with warm clothes. Even for the Earth country - it still got pretty cold in the middle of winter.

They walked for what felt like half an hour.. Or more - Naruto couldn't tell as the cold had made his legs rigid and stiff. He'd tried jogging the cold off but then Sakura reminded him that he'd probably be shot if caught trying to run up to the village gates. He obliged and walked.

"There it is." Came Ashi's hoarse voice from somewhere to the right. Naruto's eyes met the huge door and let them wander over the surrounding walls, which patrolling ninja stood watch in two wooden towers.

"Too late to turn back now," Sakura said cheerfully. "They've already spotted us."

And it was true. With his enhanced hearing - thanks to that damn fox - Naruto could almost make out what the tower guards were saying to those behind the door, telling them to open the gates for the visitors.

_Imposters. _

He suppressed a shiver as soon as they took their first steps into the large village of Iwa. Naruto could sense the traces of protection jutsu around the area. It was just as well that he did not try to enter with his 'sexy technique' - one step and _boom_ - kunai through the head...

"Hello - how may we help you?" There was a friendly looking guard sat across from them in a small hut. Sakura pasted an innocent smile on her face and stepped forwards with a handful of papers.

"Good morning," she greeted and set the papers down on the table before him. "My name is Rhea Marushi. I'm on honeymoon with my new husband here, Mori." She beamed and gestured to Naruto who slipped his arms around her shoulders.

The guard returned the smile. "Ahh, welcome Mr and Mrs.. Uh.." He checked the forged papers. "Mr and Mrs Marushi.. If I may - can I ask if Rhea is a western name?"

"It is," Sakura grinned and battered her eyelashes. "My Grandmothers actually. She came from the West."

"Aha knew it. And who is this lovely young man here?"

Ashi stepped forward. "My name is Toru - I am Rhea's cousin. When she mentioned that she was coming here for her honeymoon - I asked if I could come too. I have family here, you see." He finished his explanation with a famous Uchiha smile. The guard nodded.

"Welcome young Toru. Now," he leaned back on his chair and brought out a couple of forms, placing them on the table. "These papers are purely confidential and will not be seen by anyone else but the Tsuchikage's personal assistant. They basically ask you a few background history questions and hereditary questions. Could I just ask if one of you could fill in for the group?"

"I will," Ashi offered. "You two go start your honeymoon, eh? I didn't get you guys a wedding gift so I'll count this as one." He turned to the guard and they laughed good-naturedly together. Ashi sent Naruto a warning look. Something along the lines of: _Hurry up and get started, I'll see you later._

And so after Sakura managed to get the guard to hand over the keys for their new rented apartment - both he and Sakura escaped off to a quiet row of blocks - away from the busy leisure and shopping districts. They found their block without much hassle - a dainty little peach colored building - they hurried inside and up the two flights of stairs.

"Thirty-eight," Sakura muttered. "It's ours." She stopped at said door and slipped the key into the lock. They pushed their way into the darkness and Naruto fumbled about stupidly for a few seconds, trying to find the light switch. He found one located near the kitchen and then suddenly the room was full of light.

Overall, it was a pretty decent apartment considering the little money they had. Pushed in the corner, was a small silver television situated next to a mahogany table with a Japanese peace Lilly on it. Around them, were two yellow armchairs and a phone hung up on the cream wall paper. The kitchen was adjoined and still carried on the creamy/sunny décor – with fake marble counters and a spotless white refrigerator. There were stairs on the other side of the room, presumably leading up to the bedroom and the bathroom.

"So clean," Sakura marveled and traced her fingertips on one of the kitchen counters and the breakfast bar. "Jeez Naru – it's almost better than our house in here!"

"They clean up pretty good," Naruto agreed. "Too bad we didn't actually come here for our honeymoon – imagine the sex in here!"

Sakura snorted. "I hope that isn't all you've been thinking about, lately."

He grinned. "I'm always thinking about sex when Sakura's around. Surely you noticed that?"

"Careful." She warned and teasingly tapped him on the butt. She disappeared up the stairs and left Naruto alone to shut the windows and blinds.

_Anyone could be listening,_ He made a mental note to remind Sakura that they should refer to their fake names even when alone. Just in case.

The street below was quiet and again, very clean with its grey cobblestones. Something about this whole village seemed to be bugging him already and they'd only just arrived. He couldn't quiet put his finger on it, but something didn't seem right.

**-&-**

Ashi sighed and threw the detailed map of the town, down on the breakfast bar in temper. He bit his lip angrily and paced around the living room – which was now scattered with various papers and lettering. He glared hard at his companions.

"Nothing?"

"Nothing," Naruto repeated. "We've been here for almost a week now and we haven't found a single thing. Not a hint, nor a clue."

Sakura rubbed the bags under her eyes and yawned. "We've been at this night and day, hardly stopping to eat or to sleep… _Something _must be slipping through our fingers here! Something we're missing.."

"And what would that be?" Ashi barked. "A piece of litter of the street? A crying child? Perhaps a shiny red balloon?"

"Talk to her like that again and you'll find a shiny red fist down your throat," Naruto said dangerously, stalking around the table. "Dammit – we'll find this son of a bitch!"

Ashi snorted.

"Alright let's think tactics here for a second," Sakura turned to a business-like tone. She stood up with her hands on the bar and raked her gaze from each man to the other. "Iwa's demon is their strongest defense against an enemy attack - yes?" They nodded. "So ideally - they'd spend a lot of their time and money getting extra protection for this man or woman. For all we know - we could have been passing them in the street - surrounded by undercover guards-.."

Ashi sighed. "That would mean the only way to lure this demon out, is to somehow stage an attack on this village and see if we can strike up a battle with the demon. Is that what you're saying?"

"No," she replied flatly. "That's a stupid idea. I say we send Shu to take a message to Cairo and Tobi - telling them we need more time. And from then on, I say we keep our eyes peeled for someone always surrounded by the same type of people. Make mental notes of people's faces and clothing. Eventually - we should get a few suspects to check out."

"I couldn't do that," Naruto shook his head. "I'm not patient enough."

"Well you can't duck out and leave all the work to me and Ashi." She snapped.

"I wouldn't," Naruto replied calmly. "I'd do some other kind of work. For example - I'd work out escape strategies or the quickest way for you to bring the demon down. We'd all be working as a Team still, wouldn't we?"

Sakura sighed. "I have a headache," she massaged her temples. "Look - I say tonight we all just switch off and go let off some steam, ok? We've been working ourselves silly these past few days. It's stupid to not rest for at _least_ a night."

"Yeah," Ashi agreed surprisingly. "I can't argue with that. Naruto?"

"Yes." He murmured.

Sakura's smile widened. She suddenly looked much younger, her face almost had a lucid like glow. "I need to sleep then. I'm so tired."

Naruto nodded. "You mind if I head out for a while? I need some air before I go crazy!"

"I'll come with you then."

"No," he said firmly and fondly patted her growing stomach. "That kid needs a rest too – Sakura. Go sleep honey and I'll bring back some takeaway sushi or something."

She nibbled her lip anxiously. "You sure you want to go out by yourself?" She glanced at Ashi pleadingly but the Uchiha shrugged.

"Uzumaki's decision."

"I'll be fine yeah?" Naruto grinned and pressed his lips to hers. "I won't be gone for hours. I'll be home soon again."

"Be careful," she warned. "Naruto – stop smiling, I'm being serious.. I'm not taking you out of this village in a little bag. For god's sake – _pay attention_."

Naruto – who had been rolling his eyes and grinning like an idiot, wiped the smile off his face at once and patted her reassuringly. She reached up and clasped her arms around his neck, kissing him furiously.

**Get off – filthy reptile.**

_It's Sakura's body. _Naruto inwardly glared. _And I'll do what I want with it._

**In that case, why don't you get your dick wet? **Kyuubi cackled madly and Naruto couldn't help but notice the scraps of odd fur on his body again. Luckily, the fox was laughing too much to notice him and that's the way Naruto preferred it.

Sakura yawned. "I'm off to bed then – what are you going to do, Ashi?"

"Stay here too. There's no sense in completely splitting up," he shot a look at Naruto. "Plus I can do some more battle tactics."

"Suit yourself." She muttered, quickly kissed Naruto again and disappearing up the stairs. Naruto said a quiet goodbye to Ashi and warned him to keep Sakura out of trouble and to adhere to her every need. He slipped out of the front door with the key and sprinted down the two flights of stairs.

The very second he was outside of the building and the night breeze hit him like a bullet, he took in deep breaths of the chilly air and smiled softly. He shoved his hands in his pockets and slowly ambled through the housing district and followed the sounds of the nightlife. He had to admit that he loved being a ninja – but unwinding and relaxing like this made him feel so damn good. Plus, it made him forget happily about all of the stress they'd endured the past three or four months.

It seemed pretty lively for a Friday evening. Casually dressed people partying after a long week of work were filling the streets and the closer Naruto went to the entertainment district – they were also chatting outside the bars and nightclubs as well.

"Looking for a good time?" Someone called. Naruto gazed lazily to the right to find a scantily clad young woman. He rolled his eyes.

"I have my _wife_, for that thanks." He smirked and kept on walking, leaving the drunken girl behind. He continued alongside a small stream with floating candles and lilies, until he came upon a small bar named '_Amore'_.

The bar looked fairly safe with only a few people sat in the leather booths through the half darkened windows.

_Cairo warned us to play it on the down low. _He thought. _I doubt anyone would recognize me here. _He subconsciously brought his hand up to his face to touch the whisker marks underneath the make-up. He took a quick scan around the quiet street and slipped through the dark brown doors.

At once, he noticed the fuggy stench of smoke and alcohol mixed together. He was about to turn around and leave but he then remembered he'd have to go back and discuss battle plans again. Naruto sighed and sidled up to the dusty bar and sat down on an empty stool.

"Beer." He grunted to the barman. The grey-haired man nodded in response and poured the brown liquid into a glass, before sliding it along the table to Naruto.

"Rough day?" The barman muttered. "You look like hell."

"You could say that." Naruto commented drily. He drained half the glass in one gulp and sat back on the stool. "It's pretty dead in here tonight isn't it?" He gave the near-empty room a glance.

The barman smiled toothily. "It's like this most nights. Folks only com' in here if they dun' wanna be seen. If you know wha' I'm sayin'." He winked a bloodshot eye.

Naruto smirked. "Sounds like me then."

"Names Nile," the man nodded. "And I'm only tellin' ya because you seem like my kinda people.. Some of them in 'ere are pretty…" He raised his eyebrows and nodded to a red-haired man asleep on the other side of the bar. Naruto got the silent explanation and nodded understandably.

"I'm Mori, Mori Marushi," Naruto shook Nile's hand. "You ever thought that redecorating this place might attract a few more people?" He nodded at the muddy brown walls.

Nile scratched his beard thoughtfully. "Not really. I like m'peace and quiet, see?" He sniffed roughly and spat into an empty bucket behind the bar. Naruto had to hold his stomach to keep himself from vomiting up his beer. Nile hadn't noticed and poured another drink for him and set it on the counter. "Now if yer dun' mind, I have ter leave you alone and go get some barrels in the basement," Nile smiled. "Try not ter stir up any trouble, mind."

"I won't." Naruto vowed and watched Nile head down the cellar steps. As soon as he was gone, Naruto breathed a sigh of relief and stared around the room.

The smoke smell seemed to have blurred Naruto's vision as well as he stared through the haziness at the few other customers sitting alone and drinking quietly. Some guy hand his hand down his pants and was shuffling playing cards with the other hand, while another muttered to himself about a rabbit called 'Madison'..

"This place is weird," Naruto muttered to himself and shifted back around to his beer again. "If Sakura knew I was here – she'd flip-.."

"Didn't old Nile warn you it was dodgy in here, ehh?" Came a voice from the right. Naruto glanced up to see the red-haired man who had been asleep moments before, staring at him. For a split second, Naruto had thought the stranger had miraculously worked out who he was – and was staring at him in anger. But upon closer inspection, the man's eyes were as clouded as the smoky air - drunk.

"I've had enough of this."

"NO!" The red-haired man yelled and slammed down his bottle of whiskey so hard that it frothed over the rim. He licked the few little droplets and slid clumsily over the barstools to sit beside Naruto.

"Mori Marushi," the stranger murmured and sipped his drink. "God – your parents must have _hated _you-.."

"I have no parents." Naruto replied coldly and swerved on his seat to stand. A hand darted out quicker than he'd realized, and the man held his arm in a tight grip. As soon as they connected, a loud ripping and slashing filled Naruto's mind and all he could see was red. Kyuubi was thrashing about madly in his conscious. Naruto wondered briefly if foxes were venerable to epileptic fits..

"Sorry abou' that," the man apologized. "Didn't know."

Naruto shrugged off his arm. "It's fine," he said breezily. "Whatever." But the man shook his head so wildly that the small elastic band holding his crimson hair into a ponytail – looked in serious danger of snapping.

"My names Rōshi, by the way," he grinned. "Or at least I _think _it is.. I've had so many names.." Rōshi didn't wonder any further and only drained his bottle and brought out another from his pink robes. Seeing Naruto's disgusted expression, Rōshi grinned slyly and began to drain the second.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Rōshi, you seem nice and all – but I'm kind of married-.."

"Dammit – I'm no nancy boy!" Rōshi roared and sent beer droplets and spit flying. "Why are you insulting me good sir?" He began to cackle loudly.

By now, Naruto had seen far enough and he quickly leaped off his seat so that Rōshi didn't get another opportunity to grab him. Naruto had made it halfway to the exit, when a voice behind him yelled; "Demons!"

He spun on his heel and stared incredulously at Rōshi – who was stumbling clumsily toward him.

"Demons!" The man repeated weakly and began to fall forwards and would have ended up on the floor if Naruto had not caught him in time. Rōshi smiled softly and reached up to Naruto's ears – despite that he was about an inch shorter.

Naruto leaned away from Rōshi's breath. "Hey man – I think you need to go home or something-.."

"No home," Rōshi breathed. "I 'aint had a home for a long time."

"I suggest you find yourself a good hotel or inn then.. Maybe Nile will let you sleep in the corner or on one of the booths-.." He trailed off as Rōshi began shaking his head tiredly. The man stared into Naruto's cerulean orbs and close his eyes.

"

"I need a release," he didn't sound so drunk anymore. "And you look strong."

Naruto said nothing.

"I escaped those _bastards_ to come 'ere and 'ave a quiet little drink to meself. And what do I find? Oh Mori, Mori, Mori…"

"A breath mint?" Naruto suggested lightly.

"Nooo," Rōshi chuckled. "No, no, no, no. I mean.." He took a sly glance around the room and motioned for Naruto to lean closer. "Mori – I shouldn't be 'ere."

"Noo really?" Naruto said sarcastically. "Look – tell me where you live and I'll take you home okay? I think you've had enough to drink for one night." He grabbed onto Rōshi's elbow, who growled and pushed him away.

"They want the demon," he continued to slur and pounded his chest. "And who knows wha' they'll do with it when they get it.. Who knows what they'll do ter _me_, when I let him find me again-.."

Naruto frowned and surveyed the stranger fully now. Rōshi's eyes were beginning to cloud more and more over. His temple protector on his head looked in danger of falling off, so Rōshi knocked it back into place with a clumsy fist. And what the hell did he mean by 'demon'?

Naruto gripped Rōshi tightly by the shoulders. "Tell me what you mean by that," he hissed urgently. "What demon?"

Rōshi swayed dangerously on his feet and glared at the blonde through narrowed eyes.

"The four-tailed monkey." He said, and then fainted in Naruto's arms.

.


	20. Judgement

**Hey guys. First of all, let me apologise for the extremely long wait you've had just for this chapter. I could spin a smart little tale and just say I was so busy with college and stuff. But the truth is that I believe I'm beginning to fall apart and my relationship with my boyfriend could be on the rocks due to a certain female friend of his. With everything going on lately, I've had a serious case of writer's block. But Im changing tactics at the moment and using my writing as a means of distraction.**

**I'm so sorry - I'll get back on track very soon and become a good author again.**

**Review please.**

"... Blah ... " - Speech

_" ... Blah ... "_ - Thoughts, flashbacks and Bhadra.

**" ... Blah ..." - **Kyuubi and Haekeri

* * *

**Betrayal 3: Destiny's Darkness**

**Chapter Twenty: Judgement **

**-&-**

_I've found him.. I've found him.. _

Naruto didn't dare to stop to take a breath or glance behind to see if anyone was following him. He stuck to the back alleys and huffed and puffed quietly with Rōshi, sprawled on Naruto's back – passed out cold.

He was positive that some of the weirdo's in Nile's bar had seen the blonde half walk, half carry Rōshi outdoors. But no one seemed to be following. In fact, Naruto was quite lucky in terms of running into strangers. The back alleys and side streets were all but deserted.

_Who did he mean who 'they' were? _He figured 'they' must mean some kind of bodyguards or special ops that keep track of the container. Back in Konoha, Naruto already knew that the ANBU sometimes kept track of him,. But surely not to this extent..

The moon above, had thankfully disappeared behind a group of clouds - so the blonde with the man draped over him couldn't be easily spotted by residents looking out of their windows. The sweat was beginning to gather on Naruto's forehead. He didn't realize that Rōshi was so.. _Muscularly__._

He rounded another corner and slid into a rather clean alleyway. He was so sure that the apartment couldn't be far by now..

_Maybe I should just take him straight to the quarry. _He shook his head, no. He couldn't do that. Sakura was the one who was required to kill the demon - not him. _But what if I weaken him down for her? It would be easier and less time consuming.. Plus __Rōshi__ is already drunk.. His awareness levels are down._ The more he thought about it, the better of an idea it became. He was strong enough to control Kyuubi's power and he had a hell of a lot of his own chakra.

Naruto had made up his mind. He carefully stowed Rōshi away behind a couple of old dustbins and bin bags and sprinted the next couple of streets until he came to the peach building. Running up the flights of stairs without breath, he skidded down the hallway and shoved the key in the lock. Opening it quietly, he found Ashi snoring quietly on the sofa.

Naruto padded silently over to the table where the various tactics were spread out. He got a pen and scribbled roughly his message over one of them, and taped it to Ashi's head.

He wanted to go and see Sakura as well, but if Ashi was fast asleep, then she most definitely would be too.

"Go luck Naruto. Have a nice trip." He muttered and backed out of the front door, closing it with a quiet click.

**-&-**

_It was summer. Sakura was lying with her back to the thick forest floor and rested her head back on her arms. The hot sun above was filtering through the thick canopy of forest leaves and casting soft, lucid warped shapes all around her. There was green all around - the forest alive with shrieks and cries. Even the leaves were singing and rejoicing. She could feel her heart beat slowly and contentedly._

_"Do you still worry about the future?" Came a voice to the left._

_Sakura slowly rotated her head. She smiled at the person before her. Her brunette hair - the way her yellowy eyes glinted in the sunlight. Her laughter lines and the signs of middle age etched upon her face._

_Kimoko reached over and clasped Sakura's firmly in her hand. The pink-haired girl had tears in her eyes._

_"Not anymore," she breathed. "You taught me not to be afraid, remember?"_

_"I remember," Kimoko said softly and grinned. "You've grown up, my lovely."  
_

_Sakura blushed and absentmindedly brushed the hair from her eyes. "This is a dream isn't it?" She began to sob. "You aren't here anymore. You haven't been here for years."  
_

_Kimoko's face briefly blurred out of focus. She turned her eyes towards the half-hidden blue sky. She smiled._

_"You can't see me.. But I'm still here. I'm always with you, honey,"  
_

_Sakura cried silently and wiped the tears off her face with a fist. "But I feel so guilty! We let Itachi kill you.. We couldn't be strong enough to protect you.. I'm so, so sorry."  
_

_"Sakura," Kimoko said firmly. "Don't ever be sorry for the past. Yes - it may still sometimes hurt so damn badly, that it makes you want to cry," she smiled softly. "It isn't Itachi's fault - perhaps one day, that will become apparent to you too. I still love him with all my heart and I know somewhere below that cold exterior he has put up.. I know that he cares for me too.. So don't go and waste your life by worrying about the past, Sakura."_

_Kimoko's frame was now enveloped by a strange light. Around the edge of the clearing, Sakura could see dark shapes move closer and stop at the edge of the clearing. Sakura turned to Kimoko and gently touched her hand, wanting to remember the feeling._

_"It's time for you to go," Kimoko sighed. "It's too bad - it would have been nice to catch up, nee."  
_

_"Will I ever see you again?" Sakura asked quietly. She was very aware that her body was beginning to fade away._

_Kimoko closed her eyes. "Maybe, maybe not. It depends on the cards that destiny decides to throw upon you," she narrowed her eyes and gripped Sakura's tightly by the shoulders. "Sakura - I want you to keep an eye open - you've gone into dangerous ground now and it is too late to turn back. But it isn't too late to fight for control."_

_"Control," Sakura repeated. "You mean Haekeri?"  
_

_"No, Haekeri is trying to help you. But destiny is not allowing him to tell you the signs. Tell you what he really thinks of the situation.. And he is bound by heavenly laws from telling you the future."_

_Sakura was just about to open her mouth and fire every unanswered question that was soaring around her head. As she tried, Kimoko's frame suddenly exploded in a mess of light and stars and Sakura could feel her body being pulled backwards at a frightening speed. She tried to scream - shout for Kimoko to take her back._

_But no one answered._

**-&-**

Sakura jolted awake with that strange feeling that she'd just had some kind of crazy falling dream. She wiped the sweat from her face and forehead. The room felt hot and sticky. She slid out of the bed sheets - that were sticking painfully to her skin - and she padded over to the window and pulled it open, relishing for a few moments the cool breeze in.

What had she even dreamed about? Whatever it was, caused a small cluster of wetness at the corner of her eyes. She rubbed them forcefully until they stung.

_It's back to work I guess._

She didn't bother to make the bed and pulled open the door to head downstairs.

She figured it must have been the middle of the night. The apartment was pitch black and silent, except for the small snoring sounds coming from the living room. Upon close inspection, Sakura found out the cause to be Ashi flopped on the sofa. She smiled softly and was just about to turn away when something caught her eye. On Ashi forehead - half covering his lop-sided mouth, was a sheet of paper. Sakura's hand darted out and ripped the paper off his face. Ashi roared in pain and immediate glared accusingly at her.

"What the fu-.."

She shushed him with a finger and let her eyes scan the quickly scribbled note. Ashi growled and carefully watched the changing expression on her face. Disbelief to anger to worry to anger to hurt to anger.

Ashi frowned as Sakura snorted and thrust the piece of paper at him. He began to read;

_Sakura and Ashi_

_I'm writing this quickly 'cause I need to hurry. Long story short - I found the fourth demon container! Yeah, long shot .. I know.,. But still, I've taken him out to the quarry where the others should be hopefully too. I've decided to start on that son of a bitch and wear him down until you get there. And no Sakura – this is not a stupid idea._

_Seeya soon – believe it!  
_

As Ashi finished reading, at the corner of his eye, he could she Sakura gnash her teeth together and prowl around the room like a predator. She snatched the paper from him and balled it up, tossing it to the other side of the room.

"That idiot is going to get himself killed!" She snarled and glared accusingly. "_YOU! _Why didn't you stop him?"

"The same reason you didn't," Ashi retorted and pulled on his sandals. "I was asleep." But Sakura had pulled open the front door and was already racing down the stairs. Ashi followed and closed the door behind him, vaulting over the stair railings and landing neatly before Sakura had reached the bottom. He blocked her means of escape and forced her to look at him in the eyes.

"Stop and listen to me," he said firmly. "I don't care what Naruto has gone and done.. Your only focus here is to get the demon, okay?" He paused. "Even if.. Naruto gets hurt or anything-.."

"I still have to keep my focus," she rolled her eyes. "I get that. No get out of my damn way."

She pushed Ashi aside and together, they raced out of the peach coloured building and raced along the silent streets. The sky was beginning to lighten little by little and by the way Ashi's eyes darted around the sinking shadows - he was pretty certain that they'd end up being caught. They headed west through the town in the hope of finding a breach point on the village walls. Sakura snarled and was just about to attempt to leap the stone bricks, until Ashi's hand pulled her by the neck and into an alleyway. Before she could curse a string of obscenities, Ashi making a shushing motion and pointed towards dark shadows around the wall and the nearby watch towers.

_Guards. And lots of them. _Sakura's eyes narrowed and she glared into the coming dawn.

"So how the hell do we bust out of this place?"

Ashi was silent for a moment while his eyes roamed the area. He nudged her and nodded to somewhere in front of them. "Guards are just about to switch off the night shifts and the day shift guards will replace them," he grinned. "It would be a verrry close call and we may be caught but I think those couple of seconds could work out in our favour?"

"You have a Plan B?"

"Run?" He suggested lightly. "Either that, or I could cause an illusion diversion for the moment. An area this big with this many guards though.. You'd have to carry me to the others." He smirked coyly.

"Plan A then," she sighed and bit her nails. "When do we make a break for it?" Ashi leaned over her shoulder and watched carefully at the guards moving silently above them. One yawned tiredly while another brushed the sleep from his eyes. They began to slowly head towards the nearest watch tower to the right. On the ground a little further away - more shadows were already beginning to ascend the steps.

"Go!" Ashi hissed. Sakura didn't need telling twice, she growled and vaulted up onto the wall - sending a rush of chakra to her feet so fast that it gave her a splitting headache. Ashi seemed to be already diving over the top and into the trees directly across. Sakura didn't bother keeping an eye open for anyone watching - they were escaping the village anyway.

She crouched low and sprung silently into the branch of an old oak. Ahead, Ashi was already marking a trail in order to get them to the Western quarry. Sakura landed neatly beside him and brushed the twigs from her hair.

"How long?" She whispered.

"Twenty to forty minutes," he said grimly. "And that's using chakra to run."

"No good! We'd be knackered before we even get there!"

"Naruto can take care of things on his own," Ashi sighed. "Let your dragon take over again and let him use his own chakra."

"How can he?" She shrieked. "When my body is already unconscious from the lack of energy?"

Ashi snorted and gave their path a quick glance. "Would you please _keep your voice down_.. Look - we'll play it by ear okay? We'll see what happens and we'll have to take it from there," he narrowed his eyes. "There is a way we could conserve chakra - by running slower as normal spee-.."

"Which also condemns Naruto," Sakura snarled. "We go as fast as we can. _Now_."

She didn't bother to wait for his reply and took off in the direction they faced. She forced as much chakra to her feet as they could hold. Her chakra points strained with pressure at trying to circulate fast enough - but she didn't care. Every heartbeat, every breath screamed Naruto's name. Her husband's name.

Why the hell would he just go and take off like that? Especially when he knew the consequences of fighting demons. A ball of guilt welled up in the bottom of her chest as a certain nine-tailed fox filled her mind with worry.

What would she do if something happened to Naruto?

**Don't even think about it, **Haekeri advised. **As irritating as he is - Kyuubi's chakra should still be accessible to Naruto and he should still be able to use it to his advantage.**

_But what about the Kyuubi himself? What if Naruto loses control and manages to let the tails out? Naruto will get hurt. _The more she thought about it, the more her heart began to ache uncomfortably. She stumbled distractedly a few times on passing trees. Haekeri didn't bother to tell his to stay in focus.. She wouldn't have listened in the slightest anyway...

How long had they even been running now? Sakura couldn't even tell. She silently cursed herself at not bothering to learn how to teleport to an unknown site. With every step, a new swear word blared out of her mind. Somewhere behind, she could feel Ashi's chakra spiking uncomfortably. He managed to haul himself side by side with her as they continued to leap from tree to tree.

"What's wrong?" She managed to yell over the sound of the rushing wind. From all those practice years with Sasuke - she and Naruto could identify clearly an upset Uchiha.

Nevertheless, Ashi shook his head. "Nothing."

"Bull! Tell me now!"

He narrowed his eyes. "I'm beginning to pick up different sets of chakras here," he said dejectedly and gestured towards their destination. "Which could only mean that Kyuubi's beginning to come out of Naruto.."

Now that he had mentioned it, she could feel the slight sense of unease and sickliness in the air. It bore down heavily on them. There was a prickly sort of presence not too far away.

She gulped back the ball of horror in her throat and sprinted towards the prickly ball of power emanated from. Did she dare even ask Ashi whether he could feel Naruto's chakra as well? Not Kyuubi.. _Naruto's._

Ashi grabbed her shoulders and shook her roughly. "We're wasting time." Was all he said. And they both continued to race onto where they hoped, Naruto would still be alive.

**-&-**

The minutes ticked painfully by - every grain of sand smacking the bottom of the hourglass. The forest rushed by at an alarming pace and the unease in the air was growing considerably thicker.

"Not long now." Ashi hissed from somewhere to the left. This small piece of news caused Sakura's heart to beat painfully, she gritted her teeth and nodded once.

The forest was now beginning to clear into nothingness. The think greenery of the grass and the trees were thinning out into boulders and sandy rocks. They both took a running leap onto one of these boulders and begin to scan their eyes frantically around for any signs of life.

In the distance, there seemed to be a serious dust cloud settling over the near horizon. There was a sound of a roar and a hiss, and the dust cloud clouded over a larger area of the quarry. Sakura instinctively made a sharp turn at the next boulder and ran flat out to the disturbance. Haekeri was crouched within her conscious and slowly flowing his chakra through her chakra channels.

Another sharp roar. The ground shook.

They arrived finally at the gaping hole in the earth that stretched for miles around them. Sitting offensively within the quarry, glaring up at them was a huge red creature that frightenly resembled a giant gorilla. Beneath his coarse looking red shaggy coat, he had a greenish tint to his skin and two beady black eyes. His four tails waved violently behind him.

"That would be Yonbi." Ashi growled.

"Where's Naruto?" Sakura spat. "I can't feel hi-.. NARUTOOO!" Catching sight of an orange and black lump at the very bottom of the quarry right next to the monster, her heart gave an aching cry and Haekeri roared in tune to it. Naruto was unmoving, unhearing. Was he just knocked out or was he ...

Sakura forced every chakra cell she possessed in her body, to force themselves around her body at an alarming speed. Like many times before, she was going to use the dragon's chakra. Only this time - she actually _knew _what she was doing, rather than blindly running in.

"SAKURA! ASHI!" Cried voices from somewhere behind. They both turned to see Cairo, Shu and Tobi fast approaching the scene.

"Woah, planet of the apes," Tobi said stupidly as soon as they'd arrived. "Who ordered the giant monkey man?"

Sakura ignored him and concentrated solely on the transformation process. With more and more of the dragon's chakra being pumped around her body, she could feel her teeth and nails lengthening and hardening. Her eyesight became clearer and her nose could now pick up scents that were undistinguishable before.

"Get Naruto," her voice formed a deep growl. "Get out of here."

"And what about you?" Ashi muttered.

"Leave him," she jerked her chin in the direction of the monkey down below. "To me."

"But--" Tobi began.

"Interupt this fight and I'll tear your throat into piecies." She growled.

The small group left almost at once to circle the quarry in order to find the safest route to and back from where Naruto lay below.

Sakura pushed her friends and painfully - Naruto from her mind. She stared stony-eyed down at the giant Gorilla and concentrated solely on his body structure. Haekeri's increased eyesight helped her to notice the slight crook in his left knee and the small scar running through his nostrils. Crucial injuries that could help them.

The gorilla sniffed the air as Cairo and the others approached Naruto's still form and between them, heaved him onto their shoulders. Sakura leaped - kunai already in hand and made for the demon's face before he tried to go after her friends.

The four tails grunted and shifted his head smartly to the right and avoided her altogether. Sakura only smirked and swiftly rebounded in mid air and headed for the creatures' exposed neck. Again, he moved and bounded onto the cliff face, staring at her.

_He's quick._

**Stop taking so many risks! Let me take over before you get us both kill-..**

_No! _She snarled as the image of a certain blonde man filled her head. _I'm going to fight this and I'm going to destroy this thing myself. I won't let you interfere Haekeri - but I will borrow your chakra if I get into trouble._

The dragon merely nodded and his nostrils twitched.

_I'll be careful. _She thought cheerily and smiled. No WAY was this song of a bitch going to get away for what he did.

The giant monkey inhaled deeply, his breath reverberating along the deep valley. He had already seemed to have gotten over the shock of their appearance. Now they had taken away his kill, and he was mad.

Yonbi opened his mouth and roared deeply, banging his green chest with two huge fists. Sakura could see the saliva fly from his tongue and land on the valley floor. She repressed the urge to be violently ill and stood her ground. Yonbi gripped the cliff face and dug his nails in, and began to scale the walls around to where she was positioned. Sakura estimated that it would take only a few good blinks of the eyes, for him to make his way round and crush her. She maintained the flow of chakra to her feet and hands and began to shadow his movements on the walls.

Another roar, and Yonbi appeared like a ninja in front of her path. A mental jolt from Haekeri caused her to let go of the cliff and shoot herself backwards over the canyon. But Yonbi followed her and outstretched his fists - from the front, his fangs were incredibly huge. Sakura gritted her teeth and let gravity take her. As soon as the Gorilla was falling next to her, she took a leg and smashed it around his left ear.

What Sakura wasn't anticipating, was for Yonbi to open his mouth and lime green flames to come flying towards her head.

She shrieked and executed a clumsy barrel roll to the right. The flames managed to miss her face but graze her shoulder. She roared with pain as the flames licked her skin and were gone within seconds. She landed painfully on a jutted-out rock and quickly checked the injury.

"Fuck," she snarled. "Those flames were pure poison." She inspected the patch of green on the collar bone and winced as it burned to her touch.

**Can you still fight.**

_YES._ A roar escaped her throat and she found herself spitting madly at the gorilla half grinning up on the cliff face once more.

**Are you sure?**

_Definitely. I've fought with worse injuries. Believe me._ She bit her lip. She could feel the small amount of poison already finding her main blood and chakra channels. It wouldn't take loing before it got to her vital organs and incapacitated her. The amount was probably way too small to kill her - but giving Yonbi more opportunities to roast her alive was _not _a good idea.

A flurry a movement from above and again, the gorilla was on the move. He circled a couple of times before making a brave leap down to where she was kneeling. He aimed a punch but she swiftly evaded and fled from another rift of flames from the mouth.

She doubled back mid-air and sent a fistful of chakra into the stone underneath his feet. He gave a surprised cry as the ground split clean in two and rock flew in all directions - shards embedding in his skin and causing giant droplets of blood to litter the valley. Not far away, Sakura grinned wolfishly. The fangs glinting dangerously under her pink lips.

Yonbi's beady black eyes were filling with the realization that this small pink-haired girl may not be as easy to beat as he first thought. She could see the crease above his eyes narrow and his nostrils flare dangerously. He smashed both of his fists into the ruined ground and fell silent. After a few moments, Sakura's brow furrowed.

"What is he doing now?" She whispered aloud.

In her mind, Haekeri - who had been anxiously pacing back and forth - was now alert. She could see the many ideas and techniques running through his mind. His yellow eyes snapped open.

**He's gathering chakra, **the dragon spat. **He's preparing for an arena attack that probably involves those tails. **Sakura directed her attention to the four crimson tails swaying slowly, jolting the noisy iron plates that were welded onto them.

**You need to do something Sakura - if not, let me take over and I'll find a way to stop that attack! If he performs it - I'll bet my **_**wings **_**that people from the village are going to come and investigate.**

Sakura shook her head. _Stop worrying, I got an idea._

She cast her mind back to a long, long time ago where Team 7 had travelled to the mountains for a mission to protect a girl. She remembered the very excitement at an upcoming battle in her naive mind and she remembered the way her knees shook when the enemy ninja attacked and nearly beat them. Sakura's mind had become clouded over the years but she still recalled the clear fight that she and Sasuke had given those ninja. Sakura Blizzard.

Her mind was reeling with tactics now - her morale was back and so was the smirk on her face. There was nothing Yonbi could do about it - he was so determined to finish her quickly.

Sakura rummaged around in her pouch and pulled out five kunai and five explosive seals. She attached each seal to each kunai and threaded them carefully through her delicate fingers and moved against the cliff face. She sprung from the edge high into the air and hung for a second or two - trapped in her own momentum, before plunging at a frightening speed towards the ground.

_"Ichi."  
_

One kunai flew from her hands and shot towards the ground. She quickly used the cliff face to rebound and change directions. Yonbi hadn't even noticed that she'd moved yet.. Good.

_"Ni."  
_

A second kunai followed the first and buried itself into a boulder near the gorilla. Again even though the wind blew harshly against her, she changed course and distributed two more kunai.

_"San... Shi..."  
_

She let herself freefall to the ground and neatly landed in front of Yonbi - who had grown with his chakra charge. He looked up - the chakra had changed his eyes to a glowing yellow.

"You hurt someone very close to me," she snarled and took a few steps forwards. "I have more grace than to rip your lungs clean out - you should be thankful," she stopped a few metres away from his colossal chest and stared straight into his eyes. "Bang."

She hurled the last kunai with all of her strength at the gorilla and laced her fingers together in a hand sign. _"Go. Sakura Blizzard."  
_

The intensity of the five separate explosions together as one, were more than enough for the huge gorilla. Sakura had forgotten the sweet sound of an explosion. The last time she estimated - was when she used to practise back in Akatsuki with Deidara on Sunday mornings. It felt as if her whole body was on fire - she sailed backwards into what felt like oblivion and ignored the ringing of her ears and the burnings of her eyes and nostrils. The world erupted slowly around her.

_Paid that bastard back for hurting Naruto, ehh?_

**You're half dead, **Haekeri said gently. His voice sounded so far away. **You'd give up your life for that human?**

_For Naruto? A thousand times over._

The blackness eventually ceased and Sakura found herself sprawled on the floor a great distance away. She struggled to a sitting position and cried out in pain as she tried to move her legs. She glanced down in horror to see that they'd both been twisted around the sockets and were now in odd angles. The poisonous cut on her shoulder was now really starting to make her feel woozy. But apart from minor gashes and bruises - she seemed to be fine.

_I'm too weak to heal myself. _She realised with a groan.

**The job isn't over yet.**

Sakura glanced wearily over to where she had been standing not long before. The blast seemed to have blown a mini-canyon through the rock. Deep inside it, was the un-missible still form of Yonbi. Half of his face and chest were missing and already - his body was starting to sink through the ground into the pits of hell.

"NO!" Sakura cried and tried with all her might to stand up. A flash of pain had her reeling and her stomach churning. She ignored it and gnashed her teeth together,

_HAEKERI! THE CONTAINER! HELP ME SAVE HIM!_

The dragon slowly closed his eyes and bent his head away from her steely gaze. He raked the ground with his claws. **The container is already dead, Sakura.**

The simple sentence played again and again in her head. She mulled over each word - each syllable slowly until they made no more sense then when Haekeri had said them. She blankly opened her mouth and a stream of silent tears wetted her cheeks.

Seeing her confusion, Haekeri breathed out slowly. **The container was already dead when we arrived. I did not sense his presence. I did not tell you because I did not want you to get distracted from this fight, **he glanced through her eyes at the demon. **I am supposing that Yonbi was able to overcome his container upon sensing the Kyuubi in Naruto and becoming greedy for the power. Yonbi was fast and not easy to beat. **He glanced at her broken legs and shoulder.

_I.. Didn't get here.. Fast enough?_

Sakura was beyond words. She closed her eyes and fell back onto the sandy stone and sobbed bitterly, wracking her body and unable to watch the giant gorilla finally disappear into the world below.


	21. Unwilling Alliance

**I'm currently writing this on my seventeenth birthday and with only two more hours to go, I can safely say that I can't wait for this day to be over.. To be honest, it hasn't been the best birthday I ever had – but I think I'm seeing things as a glass half empty here. I can't try to figure out why I'm so down on my birthday – of all days! I think that I'm starting to realize that from here on out… Everything is going to change and I am going to have to learn to adapt or be swept off by the changing tides. It's quite a scary realization.**

**Review please.**

"... Blah ... " - Speech

_" ... Blah ... "_ - Thoughts, flashbacks and Bhadra.

**" ... Blah ..." - **Kyuubi and Haekeri

* * *

**Betrayal 3: Destiny's Darkness**

**Chapter Twenty-One: Unwilling Alliance**

**-&-**

"Cairo.. It's been a week."

The said old man, glanced up from the morning newspaper at the young Uchiha and nodded slowly. He sucked his teeth and folded up the paper, tossing it onto the table of their small inn room.

"She has not spoken since?"

"Or eaten.. Or slept," Ashi sighed. "Naruto's given up trying to reason with her. He didn't even bother getting out of bed today."

"Good - he still has to get over those injuries the four tails gave him.. And where is Sakura?"

"Probably in the bathroom.. Muttering to her stomach," Ashi made a face. "She's been doing that a lot – talking to her baby. I think she's starting to lose her mind."

Cairo made a small noise in his throat. "Sakura knows deep down inside that she will have to move on and leave everything behind, soon. She feels bad at the thought of abandoning the memory of that poor man's death. She's punishing herself and trying to protect her child at the same time-.."

"She won't even let Naruto near it!"

"-.. And therefore she'll come out of it at her own pace." Cairo finished calmly.

"Boy, that's not healthy." Tobi said cheerily and helped himself to some left over rice. He missed the death glare that Ashi had sent his way. Cairo politely ignored them both and put a handful of crackers in front of Shu, who nibbled them up. Ashi made a grunt of disgust in his throat and stomped through the door into the inn hallway. He approached the door of the room next to theirs and rapped his knuckles on the wood.

"Go away." Naruto's voice was rough.

"Need to talk," Ashi shot back. "It's important."

There was a sound of someone cursing and the door flew open to reveal Naruto only wearing a pair of black shorts he retreated back into the room and Ashi followed, knocking the door shut behind him.

"It's been a week you know," Ashi sighed. "We have to get going soon."

"I know."

"Do you?" The Uchiha challenged. "Neither you or Sakura have even talked to us these last few days – we're supposed to be working as a _team _here."

"And what the fuck am I supposed to do about it, huh? She won't communicate in any way! It's like.." He paused and recalled their childhood together. "It's like when her parents were killed.. She wouldn't.. Look at me even."

"She's your _wife _and also your _best friend_! If you can't get her out of this little depression thing she's hung up in – then _no one _can!"

There was a snarl and Naruto had flown across the table and seized Ashi by the throat, pinning him up against the wall. Ashi opened his mouth to yell at him - but seeing the crimson glare in the blonde boy's eyes was more than enough to keep the Uchiha quiet. Naruto hissed and slammed him against the wall again and again. Suddenly, doors had burst open and Tobi, Cairo and Sakura had appeared from nowhere. Tobi made an attempt to make a grab for Naruto, but he kicked him in the ribs and watched the masked man roll away, groaning.

"Stop you're gonna kill him!" Sakura screamed and made a daring leap onto Naruto's back. At hearing her voice, he relaxed instantly and took her protectively into his arms and continued to glare at Ashi.

"Shh, calm down, calm down." She whispered over and over and stroked his head. She could feel his limbs shake from the effort of keeping Kyuubi at bay. He made a whining sound and shuddered. He was himself again.

"What happened?" Cairo demanded quietly and bent to help Ashi from the floor.

"He pushed me too far." Naruto spat bitterly.

Ashi shrugged away and headed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Cairo adopted a peaceful look and rubbed his temples together. He gave Sakura concerned look.

"How are the legs?"

"Doing ok," she whispered. "It took a lot of chakra but I managed to get them working again," she paused and side glanced at Naruto. "Naruto fixed easily though.."

She could still feel the raw animalistic tension that hung in the air. Haekeri's scales were alive with electricity and his unease did not make her feel any better. She double checked Naruto again - his pupils were still a little dilated and his chest rose and fell a little more often than normal. As soon as the thought ran through Haekeri's mind, Sakura's doubled it:

**Kyuubi's getting restless.**

It was like someone had slapped her around the face a dozen times and switched on a light bulb somewhere in her head. What on earth was she doing worrying over the death of some old drunken guy that she couldn't save anyway - when her own _husband's _life was in danger? She could already feel the small tug of darkness at her heart. The very same tug that caused her to loose control with her mysterious power over the years.

_Is there a dark side to you? _She wondered.

The dragon inclined his head. **That's up to you. The darkness you feel are your human instincts - not mine. If you were to give yourself into them, I would not have a say and I would fall into darkness with you-.. **He broke off and his lips formed the most ugliest snarl that Sakura had ever seen. The dragon's hide rose defensively. **We have visitors it seems.**

_Visitors?_

**Outside. **He spat.

"Someone's here to see us," she announced aloud. Naruto, Cairo and Tobi stared. "Haekeri just told me."

"Ahh not good," Cairo shook his head. "Did he not say who?"

"No. But he seems pretty wound up about them - whoever they are. He or she, is outside anyway."

Cairo nodded thoughtfully. "Tobi, come with me to greet our visitor. Sakura - stay in here and concentrate on feeling better. Naruto.. Go and apologize to Ashi. You know he was just only trying to help."

Naruto held his tongue wisely until both men had disappeared from the room, before he snorted out a string of swear words and vile hand actions. When he'd finished, his face was flushed with irritation and he took a few deep breaths.

"I really can't wait till we finish this, you know?"

"I know," she smiled. "But three down, six to go - and we aren't dead yet."

"Plus Akatsuki already have the one tail and perhaps a few others," Naruto took a final deep breath and he turned to her with a small smile, wrapping his hands around her shoulders. "Then we can go home and be parents for the rest of our lives."

"Sounds nice." She breathed. The room felt so silent. A slight breeze wafted in through the open window and tickled Sakura's bare shoulders. She gently rubbed Naruto's forearms. "Shouldn't you go and talk to Ashi?" She was afraid he'd blow up again and fly into a rage. Naruto shook his head and clenched his chin.

"He and I need some air." He said simply.

"To talk? Outside?"

"Metaphorically," he snorted and rubbed his nose fondly in her hair. "God Sakura, I hope the kid doesn't inherit your stupidity.."

The wind took a cold chill and made her shiver. She frowned at the stillness of the beast in her mind and turned her attention to the hurried footsteps out in the corridor. Another few confusing seconds passed and Tobi strolled in, hands in the pockets of his navy trousers. Just from his posture, Sakura could tell that he was grinning fully behind his mask.

"Well?" Naruto asked.

"You have _got _to see this," Tobi chuckled. "A _reeeeeal_ showstopper, I assure you."

They left the room in a daze and followed the still-chuckling man down the brightly lit hall. He stopped briefly and rapped hard on Ashi's door - yelling at him to follow them downstairs if he wanted to. They carried on down the winding stairs and rushed through the empty reception. Sakura could feel small sparks of electricity and curiosity gathering around them.

"Heya boys!" Tobi stepped through a door to the left and boomed. He shuffled into the room, urged Naruto and Sakura in, and then firmly shut the door behind them. The room its self was almost pitch black, save for the few dotted sconces along the walls. The first thing that hit them was the smell of decay and damp. Sakura coughed heavily.

"Is this some kind of joke Tobi?" She turned to beat the crap out of him for wasting their time, but Tobi was no longer there. She stared - confused at the blonde beside her.

"Party's over here!" Tobi's voice sailed over from the back of the wall somewhere. Naruto shrugged and grasped Sakura's hand. He cautiously led them through the assorted shelves of pickles and olives - western produce mostly. There were stacks and stacks of what smelled like sake and wine in some crates over in the corner where the shadows of spiders crawled silently over them. The whole room seemed to be wet and moist. Every few seconds or so, there was the sound of dripping coming from above.

There were sounds of whispers as they got closer to the back of the room. There was another solid shelf - filled with strangely shaped vegetables that resembled parts of the human body and both Naruto and Sakura were stood blinking in the sudden light of an oil lamp.

It took a few minutes for her eyes to adjust - but for a _split _second. She swore she could have seen two Akatsuki cloaks floating right before her very eyes.

She blinked and this strange illusion did not disappear. Her eyes blurred and the cloaks _somehow _began to wave back. There was a rush of blonde cascading down one of them and the other was tinted by blue. Seconds ticked by painfully and realization dawned on her like a nuclear bomb.

"I don't believe this," she said with surprising volume. "I just DON'T BELIEVE THIS."

"Heya." Deidara smiled warmly. He nudged Kisame hard in the ribs and the fish man arranged his face into what Sakura took to be a lopsided smile. The way the oil lamp was flickering steady, made the two men seem as if they were half gremlins with snarls and dark eyes. She shook away this scary image and silently sank into a hard chair next to a damp crate in what was used as a makeshift table. A few steps away, was Cairo, face devoid of any emotion.

"Don't think she's happy to see yer, Deidara," Kisame chuckled under his breath. He produced a stolen bottle of sake from one of the shelves and took a sip. "Can't blame her, since she's got the kid for company now.." He jutted a thumb in Naruto's direction.

Deidara sighed and snatched the bottle away. "Incognito." He said pointedly, probably referring back to a lot of arguments he'd had with the fish man. Kisame glared and stayed silent. Deidara turned his attention back to Sakura.

"Bet you're dying to ask us why we're here, huh?"

"Just one of the thousands of questions I have." She replied drily and cast Tobi a glare. "Is this some kind of sick reunion? Are you three going to go out and sacrifice lambs next?"

Tobi chortled and patted her fondly on the back.

"Tobi went and fetched you just in time, I was just about to hear the story myself." Cairo stepped forwards further into the dim light. Haekeri noticed the way the wrinkles on his forehead lined his face heavily with age, caused him to look more frail, more ancient.

Tobi guided the old man to another seat and tossed another in Naruto's direction, who caught it easily in his hands and sat protectively next to Sakura. Deidara licked his lips, they were cracked.

"Basically Akatsuki has fallen to ruin," he began. "Pein and Konan are both dead. Sasori and Zetsu are missing. God only knows what happened to the others... There is no place for us left in this world now - we just aren't needed," he smirked. "Shame really, since we're damn good at fighting." At that point, he and Kisame raised their hands in an energetic high five and regained their somber composure.

Kisame snorted. "We plan to ditch these cloaks as soon as possible - especially with bounty hunters hot on our tail," he grinned and his pointed teeth glinted dangerously. "Thing is, chaps, we don't plan on retiring anytime soon - to 'hang up our kunai', as it were... We are here," he paused dramatically. "To offer our services to you."

"Services?" Naruto snorted. "Don't be stupid."

"It's not stupid.." Deidara replied, stung.

"For one thing," Naruto continued on loudly. "There's _nothing _in it for the both of you. Plus, we have enough troubles as it is - we don't want the stress of your damn hunters that are after your heads!"

"We can take care of ourselves," Kisame growled. "And I'll bet we're more than qualified to handle _your _problems as well as our own! You forget demon-boy.. You're already with a criminal." He pointed a bony finger in Tobi's direction.

"We have already passed judgment on Tobi," Sakura said with more serenity then she felt. "And he passed. He is our Intel into the Akatsuki workings, we have more than enough help."

Deidara pouted. "I was your rock, your friend in the organization, Sakura. Please.. Don't make us go out there by ourselves - we are risking our lives to help you here! Akatsuki has already dissolved.. Let _us _go out with a bang. Yeah?"

"Besides," Kisame interjected. "We gotta look out for our brothers don't we?" He looked pointedly at Tobi. Tobi stared silently back.

Sakura sighed and the fresh skink of the dirty cellar violently entered her nose again. She spluttered quietly, face bright red half with embarrassment and half in pain. She really didn't know what to think with all of this.. Was it really happening? Well firstly, she could count the very real, rotting cow smell that this wasn't some kind of dream or hallucination, that she'd managed to conjure up in guilt of the four tails.

"I used to be a rock ninja you know," Deidara said quietly. There was a few moments of silence and a rustle as he dug into his Akatsuki cloak and clanked a headband on the table with a deep gash through the middle. "I see you found the four tails there."

Sakura went visibly rigid. She stared at the headband and barely felt Naruto's reassuring hand on her knee.

"I'm gonna guess here that you guys weren't able to gather a lot of background information," the man continued. "And why should you be able to? You _are _outsiders after all, who are also being hunted by various other bounty hunters.. Growing up in the Rock village, I found out a LOT of information. Some of which - was never meant to be disclosed to the public - not even to the most faithful of Jounin."

"What kind of secrets?" Naruto asked quietly.

"The kind of secrets that should die with me. However.. I will actually tell you one of the biggest - since it's vital to your mission and I want you to be able to trust Kisame here and I, fully. In exchange for this secret, you will let us join your little group party. Like in a game." He smiled.

"And how do we know we'll be benefitted here?"

Deidara leaned closer to Naruto. He smiled again. "Trust me. I looked after you too, Naruto. You already know I wouldn't go pulling any kind of bullshit on either you or young Sakura here," he returned back to his normal posture. "I'll tell you about the time in my village and the secret I learned that pretty much condemned me to this life. And I want your complete benefit of the doubt."

Silently, they all nodded.

**-&-**

"Deidara?"

The handsome nineteen-year old looked up from the piles of paperwork on his brand new desk. He grinned immediately at the sight of the person standing in the doorway. The newcomer had a crooked smile and every so-often, flicked the crimson hair away from his eyes. He was wearing dark clothing that day which only enhanced the redness of his hair and the golden glare of his eyes.

"Miroku," Deidara grinned. "Still slacking off work, yeah?"

Miroku shrugged and stepped into the shiny new office, eyes roaming the various academic awards that covered the walls. "Naturally. Although I see that obviously _some _people are living it up real nice, eh?"

Deidara blushed and scrambled up from the desk chair to point to the newest addition of his achievements. "Beating my sensei's record for exploding two hundred clay pots at the same time." He explained.

"That's an easy task for you, Deidara," Miroku smiled.

The blonde shrugged and tossed the hair from his eyes. "I was just lucky really. With extra mouths on my hands - well.. They make the job much easier." He held up his palms and the mouths grinned enthusiastically. Miroku chuckled and took a seat opposite the huge desk. He gave the room another scan with his golden orbs.

"They assigned you a pretty nice office. It was just yesterday that I was listening to Mimochi down the hall - complaining about the cold in _her _office. Still," he paused and grinned. "She isn't as valuable to Iwa as you are."

Deidara rolled his eyes. "She's tipped to be the next Tsuchikage."

"If that selfish old bat becomes the next Tsuchikage - I'll drink my weight in sake." Miroku vowed. He leaned over to the side where a little stall was stood. He picked up a lump of dry clay in his hands and began tossing it from one to the other, his mouth set in the frown.

Deidara was watching him. "What's up?"

Miroku glanced at him for a few moments and dropped the clay on Deidara's desk with a heavy thud. "News from Konoha."

"What is it?"

"Apparently one of their most prominent clans.. The 'Uchiha'.." Miroku broke off and bit his lip. "They were all slaughtered."

Deidara's sandy eyebrows disappeared into his hair and his mouth fell open. He leaped off the chair and quickly shut the windows and the blinds. It was one of the most hottest days of the year but he didn't care. The room suddenly felt deadly chilly.

"How did this happen?" He growled.

Miroku paused again. "That's the thing," he said carefully. "Apparently one of the Uchiha's most strongest clansmen.. I forgot his name. But it was _he _who slaughtered them. Imagine that! Killing your entire clan!"

"Konoha's in trouble," Deidara sighed. "How are they going to handle it?"

"Their ANBU forces are working around the clock to get the son of a bitch back for the ultimate death sentence-.." Miroku glanced at the clock on the wall and clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Speaking of time - I need to get going and get that report to Rayu by four.. He's been getting on my ass about it all day."

"Rayu _is _an ass."

Miroku chuckled and made his way quickly to the door and pulling it open. He glanced back at his best friend and smiled. "Hey - how about we meet up later for dinner when you get off work? Kayla mentioned to me the other day how she hadn't gotten the chance to see you in a while."

Deidara grinned. "Your wife misses me, yeah? And alright sure. I'll swing by your house around seven."

"That'd be perfect. Seeya, loser." Miroku waved and disappeared.

For the rest of that day, Deidara happily flew through the rest of his reports and paperwork - all riding on that one comment his best friend in the whole world had gifted him with;

_"I've never seen anyone with as much talent for explosives as you."  
_

Deidara very much loved his life. He had an amazing well paid job that he was very talented at. His teacher was one of the most revered and strongest ninja in all of the rock village and he introduced Deidara to a lot of handy contacts in ever he needed a favor. He had a luxury apartment across the Fairview district in which was situated around many bars, shops and bathhouses - which all in all, became very handy in order to meet women. He was young, he was handsome and he had the best life in the world.

He was content.

Seven came around very fast and Deidara found himself strolling down the cobbled streets in the early evening, digging his hands into his shorts and watching the sun set over the horizon. Miroku and Kayla only lived close b,y in the inner suburbs in a nice little side street with its own little garden and patio. Deidara skipped cheerfully up the seven stone steps and rapped smartly on the front door.

"Hey Dei-Dei," Kayla appeared at the doorway and flashed him the grin that normally made men go crazy. She stepped aside to let him in and closed the door behind them both. "How have you been doin'?"

"Pretty damn good thanks," he blushed and made himself comfortable on the plush purple sofa. "And yourself?"

She cocked her heads to the side and patted her obviously pregnant stomach. "Ahh can't complain. Little tyke's been giving me hell during the nights-.."

"Miroku or the baby?"

Kayla laughed and swatted him with a rolled up newspaper. "Watch it kid.. You'll learn that when you marry a decent woman - she won't let you tease her like that!"

He shrugged. "Being a bachelor isn't as bad as people think." _Plus, I doubt anyone would want to love me with these hands.. _He added on silently. Kayla laughed airlily again and called up the stairs for Miroku to get his butt down to the living room. Miroku clapped Deidara fondly on the shoulder and ruffled his fringe - calling him 'kid' and 'baby face'.

The evening went down very well. Kayla had especially made a spread of odango balls, rice, stew, kippers, noodles and only god knew what else. Deidara thankfully stuffed himself and entertained them with stories of work collegues who'd complained of his explosions in the past. By the end, Miroku was red in the face from laughing so hard and managing to choke on a grain of rice at the same time.

"You should try to get the Tsuchikage next time," Miroku suggested slyly. "I'd like to give that old bird a laugh or two.."

"Careful," Deidara grinned. "That could be taken as an act of treason."

"HAH!"

At that point, the phone began to ring and Kayla excused herself to go and answer it in the kitchen. She returned a few moments later to announce that the call was for Miroku. He made a face when she explained it was from work.

"Duty calls." He snorted and retreated to the kitchen.

"Was the food, okay?" Kayla smiled warmly.

Deidara nodded so hard, his head looked in danger of snapping clean off his neck. He regained his composure with a deep blush. "It was excellent thank you. I'm mainly used to takeaways from the ramen shop across the road from where I live."

She tutted at the word 'takeaway'. "You men should eat properly!" She scoffed.

Miroku returned and hung by the doorway. Deidara could tell from the stoic expression that the call had not probably been good news. He ran a hand through his red hair and wrapped an arm round Kayla's shoulders.

"I gotta get back to the office," he smiled apologetically. "There's some complications."

"Ne, your work is so secretive," she pouted cutely. "Can't you just tell them that you want to spend the rest of the evening with your loving wife and your unborn child?"

He shook his head. "Ahh I'm sorry Kay. They need everyman on board," he bent down and kissed her nose. "And I _like _having secretive work, silly." He apologized once again and went to get changed, only to return minutes later to bid them goodbye and disappear out of the front door. Deidara stayed a little while longer to keep Kayla company before deciding to return back home again. He stuck to quiet little streets and side alleys. The loud noises of parties and bright lights were giving him a terrible headache. He just wanted to go home and collapse on that comfortable bed of his..

He swore as the heaven's opened above and sheets of rain began to fall heavily - drenching him within seconds so that he was reduced to running home.

A couple of mostly blissful months passed by and Deidara stayed happy and positive. He still has his job, his home, his money and his sensei. However, work was really starting to take it's toll on Miroku and they got to spend less and less time together. Deidara also noticed the thick bags under his friend's eyes and the way his face was beginning to hollow like that of an old man.

"Dude, just take some time off work." He'd recalled saying a few times. But Miroku always reacted in the same way.

"Nah they need me. I'm also getting stronger with this effort Dei, don't forget that."

Another few months trickled by and their weekly get-togethers were slowly reduced to once a week, to once every two weeks, to nothing. Plus, by this time, Kayla was almost due to give birth at any moment and Miroku was hardly available in such an emergency. Deidara moodily swiveled around and around in his desk chair and thought about the past few months - how miserable they had been and lonely.

_I never want to be alone again. I never want to live in solitary like some dirty hermit._

It was that very same day that he decided to approach Miroku's superiors and ask that they lighten the workload of his friend a little, so that he could be with his wife and child. Hadn't they heard of paternity leave?

Deidara set off down to the lower levels of the Tsuchikage building where most of the secretive work occurred. He knew there were caverns below to rocky surface of the village - which was probably where Miroku resided most of these days. Deidara somehow managed to slip most of the security with handy explosions used as diversions and slipped quietly into a large hall far beneath the surface - entirely made from marble.

He was quite aware that with every step he took, the marble clicked loudly beneath his sandaled feet and reverberated around the hall. Luckily, no one seemed to be about and he could skip on quite happily down the nearest corridor.

Of course - he didn't know where the bloody hell he was going.

Only a small ball of feeling in his gut was guiding him the way and he could feel the growing regret of his decision with every step.. Even if he _did _find the bosses of this department - why the hell would they listen to some junior explosions expert, anyway?

He went back to retrace his steps - but his ball of instinct somehow made him turn around and march confidently yet again down another set of corridors and steps. This place was like a maze..

There was a sudden pained yell from a door to the left. It was silent for a few second and then came another strings of yelps. Deidara was shaking by this time. By the sound of it, the voice was in a lot of pain. Had someone had an accident?

He pulled open the heavy duty door without another thought and stared at the scene before him.

Stared.

Always staring.

On the floor. A man. Covered in blood.

Around him were seven figures - only half lit by the dimming lights of the torches that lined the walls of the small chamber. One figure standing over the man on the floor, was holding a whip in one hand, knife in the other.

Miroku.

The man on the floor groaned and another of the figures stepped forward and kicked him hard in the gut.

"Tell us how you do it!" Someone demanded. "Tell us how you could turn into such a demon!"

"Five tails!" Someone else scoffed. "Five reasons we should burn his ass."

Only Miroku had stopped with the torture and turned his attention to the light flooding in from the door. Catching sight of Deidara's horrified face, he dropped the weapons as if they were red hot and stepped backwards.

"Who the fuck sent for blondie?" Someone exclaimed.

Deidara - could not answer. His legs were completely locked to the floor and his arms were rigid by his sides. He wanted so desperately to rush forward and help the poor man.. Demon.. that they were torturing. Deidara glanced down to see that a pool of blood had gathered at his feet. It flooded around his sandals in a crimson puddle. Confused.. Deidara tried to work out where the blood was coming from. He glanced back up at Miroku to see that his best friend was holding a batch of shuriken. Deidara had trouble seeing.. Miroku was half doused in red. In blood.

With a shaking hand, Deidara moved his hands to his face. There seemed to be nothing in his left eye socket.. His left.. Eye... Socket..

"DON'T LET HIM GET AWAY," Miroku screamed. "HE'S SEEN TOO MUCH."

Deidara hardly heard. He held the blood filtering through his hands and dripping onto the floor. There was a single shuriken next to what horribly looked like a severed eyeball next to his right foot. Miroku's shuriken.

Deidara began to scream and scream. He turned on his heel and ran - half yelling and half sobbing back through the winding corridors and back to the marble hall. He tripped and fell and slid a lot on the run to the city limits. Only remembering by chance - a small hole in the wall that he and ... Had used as children - Deidara scrambled through it and was never again, seen in that same village. His hopes, his dreams, his accomplishments.

All gone.

**-&-**

"And that's my tale," Deidara said quietly. "Miroku was ordered - along with his colleagues - to torture the five tailed beast that until now, no one knew existed within the village. Apparently after he severed out my own eye, he told the special ops where to find my house, they were to kill me in case I leaked the secret. I was to be silenced forever." He finished with a little shake to his voice. He played with his fingernails under the table. His story has been harder to tell then he'd first anticipated.

"Y.. Your best friend... Betrayed you?" Naruto whispered.

"Yes."

"H.. How co-.."

"Everyone is betrayed at least once in their lives, aren't they?" Deidara sighed. "This entire world.. Is all a betrayal."

The party fell silent and everyone retreated into their thoughts. Behind the curtain of his hair, Deidara could feel the pinch of the mechanical contraption welded onto his eyes. He'd always thought that it looked kind of cool. It suddenly felt much heavier. More sorrowful.

"What happened next?" Sakura croaked. She actually felt like she was close to throwing up.

Deidara tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Found the Akatsuki and was welcomed with open arms. I was teamed with Sasori and to be honest, it took us a while to co-operate with each other - he thought me annoying. Konan could not give me another eye - but she welded a binocular technical contraption to the socket," he flicked back his hair. "It's been a pretty decent replacement, I must say."

"I just," Cairo paused. "I just cannot believe that along with a fourth demon - there was also the fifth demon in the village as well."

"Two demons," Kisame mused. "That would have been more of enough reason, for the other countries to pick a fight with the Rock."

"Exactly," Deidara nodded. "Only Miroku, those other men and the Tsuchikage knew. The secret couldn't be trusted with anyone else. Anyone at all." His tone went dark and he found himself clutching his mechanical eye. "I can't believe I didn't dodge that shuriken.. I was too in shock at the scene that I didn't even feel the pain as my eye was taken out!"

No one spoke once again and Deidara was left to be comforted only by his thoughts. As everyone returned to their rooms that very night and he and Kisame were granted group membership, Deidara lay in bed that night and sorted through all those old memories he'd wanted to forget long ago. Flickering images passed his eyelids - laughter and tears, happiness and hurt.

With the dull thudding of his heart, a new thought was also upon him.

A thought to put the past behind him, for good.


	22. The Meeting

**Heya! It's currently two in the morning and I just finished typing up the last chapter and there is currently like 13 percent power left on this lappytop, so I'll have to finish the rest of this later (: Life is kinda looking up at the moment and I'm trying to stay positive. Just one day at a time..**

**Review please.**

"... Blah ... " - Speech

_" ... Blah ... "_ - Thoughts, flashbacks and Bhadra.

**" ... Blah ..." - **Kyuubi and Haekeri

* * *

**Betrayal 3: Destiny's Darkness**

**Chapter Twenty-Two: The Meeting**

**-&-**

"So.. What do you think?"

It was the crack of dawn the very next morning and the steadily growing group, were holed up around one of the small kotatsu's in Naruto's and Sakura's room. Deidara had finished speaking and looked carefully at each of his companions. Their faces were a mix of horror, suspicion and only god knew what else.

"You must be crazy," Naruto snorted. "You want to return to the village that betrayed you - to try and get the five tails?"

"It's logical," Deidara said simply. "I know every inch, every crack and every entrance into and out of the Rock. I know places to hide and I know exactly where the five tails is being kept beneath the city limits.. Sure.. It'll be tough for me to face my past again.. But that is just something I will have to endure myself, won't it?"

"But it's stupid," Ashi replied. "Number one; they would already have a reason to kill you on sight because you found out that secret. Number two; you're a renowned member of the Akatsuki-.."

"-.. _Was_." Deidara corrected.

"Whatever, it's still suicide to go back there.. What if you run into this Miroku?" After the meeting in the cellar the night before, Sakura had slipped into Ashi's room with dinner and filled him in on every detail he'd missed. Everyone was now on the same page.

Cairo coughed politely and everyone turned their attention to him. "Deidara _does _have some very useful points there. He is the only one who knows the entire layout of the city and could be able to get in and out without directing too much attention," he glanced at the blonde man, "But due to the threat - he will probably need to wear some sort of disguise just in case he should be spotted and someone alerts the authorities."

"And then he rats out on us and gets us all killed!" Naruto muttered. Deidara raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. Instead, he nodded at Cairo's request and rose from the table.

"I should go and sort something out then and perhaps slip into the village tonight. The darkness will give me cover." He shoved his hands in his pockets and went off to his room, whistling out of tune. When he was out of earshot, Ashi turned sharply to Cairo.

"Are you _sure _this is a good idea? He was in Akatsuki."

"So was your father," Cairo said delicately. "And Itachi was not evil. Deidara will not betray us. For the moment, we are the only kind of sanctuary he has. By letting him go solo on this mission - he will prove his trust to us _and _be able to put the terrible past behind him," Cairo sipped his tea. "You will all get some well earned rest tonight and tomorrow, we may see the outcome of Deidara's actions. He cannot actively capture the five tailed demon with you, Sakura. So I am going to wager a guess that he will somehow knock out the container and bring him to us.. Then of course, we extract the demon-.."

"From an unconscious man?" Sakura cried. "Cairo - that doesn't feel right to me!" How could she try to take away the _damn _demon without even warning the poor man beforehand, that he may not live through it. After the death of Rōshi, all of this demon business felt so.. _degrading._ Sakura felt honestly like some kind of grim reaper.. Searching for poor souls that were doomed the very second their demons entered them.

"There is nothing we can do about that - it is the easiest way. I do not want you to return to that village and fight the demon _inside_. You'd _both _end up killing hundreds and ruining buildings," Cairo said gravely, he patted her shoulder. "One possible life is a better sacrifice than many, many more."

"It's also less stress on the baby this way." Naruto murmured and nuzzled affectionately into her ear. Even Kisame and Ashi ventured half-hearted smiles. But with all the comfort, she _still _felt like nothing more than a simple killer. Just a murderer.

These thoughts carried on with her until she excused herself and went back to hers and Naruto's room. Luckily, he stayed with the group. Good. She felt like being alone right now.

Violently yanking the curtains closed, she fell miserably onto the bed of the vastly darkened room and buried underneath the silky sheets. She could only make out the various shapes of the bulky dresser across the room and the sofa and the television. Everything else seemed to melt away like thick tar into the walls. If she had not already taken a walk outside, she would not even believe it was morning.

"Why couldn't you have held on for about a year till you appeared?" She slipped her hand onto her baby bump. "Why do you make yourself known at the most dangerous time of your mama's life, ehh?"

She pictured a sweet little baby boy or girl, long blonde curls and big emerald eyes, smiling up at her. The baby held out its pudgy hands and begged sweetly to bed lifted up. She imagined herself grinning in return and leaning down, arms outstretched..

_"Hey kid." _There was the sound of paws and Shu was on top of the duvet, already settling down in a ball. He shot her a feisty wink.

_"I'm not a kid," _she replied in Bhadra.

_"To me you are. I'm at least four hundred years older than you!" _He chuckled. _"So tell me what's wrong, you look kinda awful y'know..."_

_"I feel awful. I guess I'm just depressed at what's happening at the moment. Everything is.. All coming along at once." _She made swishing motions and then stared at the ferret for a few moments, before dropping her hands with a sigh. _"But it's nothing major. Ignore me."_

They lapsed into a silence and Sakura silently wallowed in her own self-misery. She felt lost to say the least. It were as if she was swimming to the mainland but the tide held her in the same position and she was half-drowning and gagging for air.. Yeah, that is what it felt like exactly. Where exactly was her life going now? How on earth was her baby going to survive her mission?

She sighed and turned to cuddle Shu for comfort, but his body was rigid and still. If not for his paws holding tightly onto her arm, she would've thought that he'd died. She cautiously pried his claws off her skin and gently prodded him between the shoulder blades. The ferret's body shook a little and the light sparked back into his eyes. He huffed up at her.

_"I was in the middle of a conversation you know."_

_"Conversation?" _Sakura replied blankly.

She sighed and rolled his beady orbs. _"With Fafnir. I was right in the middle of explaining something when you so rudely pulled me out!"  
_

Sakura's eyebrows rose as she recalled the tall, good looking man that she had met in a dream years before. Since then, they'd never spoken again even though she had heard a lot about the man. She smiled apologetically at the pissed ferret. _"I'm sorry Shu. Is that your normally communicate with him?"_

_"Remember I told you? It takes up a lot of energy and makes me permanently sleepy.. Which suits me just fine seeing as those tailed demons scare the hell out of me.. Still, it's my job to tell him what's happening down here - as he cannot directly interfere himself."  
_

She smiled. _"It's nice that he's watching over us then."  
_

_"Yes," _the ferret agreed. _"He knows about the bad time you've been going through lately. Do you want to see him?"  
_

Sakura did a double take. She eyed the ferret with confusion. _"And how the hell do I do that?"  
_

_"Easy, for me," _he sniffed. _"It will take a bit more energy than normal to transport a human into that world so I won't be able to come with you. I'll be here, concentrating on not losing you forever..Joke," _He added seeing her horrified expression.

She shifted uneasily. _"So what are you going to do?"  
_

_"First you're going to have to lay back and close your mind - empty your mind completely so no thought should be able to penetrate my concentration.. You'll have to be patient and let me do my stuff. You'll be put into a sort of dream trance and find yourself in the world between life and death." _He finished and flexed his tiny muscles so that a tiny crack emitted from his bones. _"Come on then. Before I change my mind."  
_

Sakura didn't need to think twice before laying back on the plushy mattress and snapping her eyes shut - anything to get away from this world even for a little while! She felt Shu make a noise of concentration and she felt him clamber onto her forehead and push the hair aside. He pressed his paws against her temples and fell quiet. Remembering his instructions, she forced every thought from her mind and focused on keeping it that way. Haekeri was approaching the edge of her mind and she could feel the faint twinge of excitement from him. Of course - he and Fafnir were old friends.

At one point she felt herself slipping into what felt like a dream - but she was conscious for every moment. There was a very long black tunnel that seemed to stretch out on forever, it twisted off into the distance.

"Go on then," came an impatient voice. "Get going." Her dream-body whirled around to find a dragon staring back at her. She would have shrieked in fright, if not for the ten tails swishing majestically behind him.

"H-Haekeri?"

He nodded and his golden eyes shone brightly. He was roughly about three quarters the size of her - perhaps taller if he stood on his hind legs. He was visibly glad that she looked so shocked. He flashed his deadly sharp teeth into what looked like a grin.

"We're only one person on earth," he said. "I'm sadly tiny in the gap between both worlds it seems. "He gave his huge paws a half-hearted glance and flicked his wings back in faint agitation.

"You call that tiny!" She snorted. "You're the size of a bear!"

"But I'm a dragon," he sighed. "To be seen in this form buy others of my own kind would be laughable." She opened her mouth to tease him further but the disappointed look on his face was enough to stop her. She patted his nose and gestured to the tunnel that stretched out before them.

"How long d'you estimate it's gonna take us to walk that?"

"For you - A long time. For me," he puffed out his chest. "It shouldn't take long at all if I run."

She frowned. "Great, so that leaves me to walk for hours on end to god knows where!"

He shot her a weird look. "Did I say I was going to leave you to go alone?" She her blank look, he sighed and lowered himself to the spotless dark floor beneath them and folded his wings by his sides. "We also could fly - but I don't think in such a small body, that I could carry both myself, you and your.. baggage." He eyed her stomach. Sakura rolled her eyes and gently settled herself between the dragon's shoulder-blades.

"No offence intended." He added.

He rose effortlessly to his feet again - regardless of the weight he was now carrying and began to bound forwards in leaps and bounds. Before long, the non-existent wind began to whip Sakura's hair from her face and she was left to hold onto his horns for her dear life. She watched half in fear as the dragon sped around corners and twisted through the never-ending hallway. It honestly felt as if she was riding Akamaru. Although they were now both separate bodies - she could still feel the increasing rate of his heartbeat and the way his claws dug into the ground and propelled them forwards. He didn't voice it - but she could tell he was excited at the prospect at being in his own body after so long. He loved running and feeling the ground underneath for himself.

"How far are we now?" She raised her voice. It echoed around the dark walls and fell behind them. Haekeri thundered on a bit further before grunting; "Nearly there."

True to his word - only after about ten more minutes of running, the dragon pulled back on his hind legs and took a large leap from the tunnel and into the first bit of light that they'd seen in a while. Even in this dream-like world, the brightness of the light stung Sakura's eyes and she had to let go of the horns to cover them. She felt Haekeri slow into a walk and breathe deeply.

Finally adjusted to the light, she removed her hands and let her eyes wander.

They appeared to be at the side of a huge lake which stretched out for what seemed like miles in endless, waving motions. The dark, murky water reflected the grey and dank clouded sky above. The lake seemed to be situated in what looked like an arm-chair shaped valley. The sides reared up either side, dark and unwelcoming. It certainly made a change from the last time Sakura had come to meet Fafnir.

Haekeri made a noise of discontent beside her. "As the demons' power grows, the veil between the worlds of life and death become thinner - darker," there was a look of distress on his scaled face. "I just did not realize that the damage was this far along.." He kicked a rock as his claws, which crumbled as if it were dust.

"I.. Didn't realize there was this much pressure on me.. On _us_." Sakura said faintly.

"You would only have had to have seen to believe it," he shrugged. "I think there is an island in the middle of the lake which is probably where Fafnir'll be."

"So we have to swim?" Sakura glanced at the darkened depths of the lake and shivered. "Who knows what could be under there."

"No," Haekeri corrected and pointed a claw to the right. "Stepping stones." He led the way over to where the large slates of rock, hung suspended in the water. He side-glanced at Sakura and inclined his head that she should go first. Sakura swallowed her nervousness and forced herself not to look at the water. She hopped onto the first stone and found it surprisingly sturdy - as if it were fixed to the ground. Quickly, she followed the rest of the formation with Haekeri leaping quietly after.

About twenty or so minutes past and Sakura could make out a gazebo-looking shape on the small island. From her point of view, it didn't look very special, and as she got closer and closer, she could make out the chunks missing from the rotten planks of wood. Seated on one of the wooden benches, was a man sat calmly, looking at her.

She approached the land and clambered into the gazebo. Fafnir rose from his bench and floated forwards to shake her hands and kiss them. He regarded Haekeri with a friendly nod and patted the dragon fondly on the nose. He inclined that they take the bench facing his.

"It has been a long time since we've met," Haekeri said quietly. "I see the damage here is bigger than I thought."

"They can try all they want, they will not get into paradise to destroy us." Replied Fafnir with a handsome smile. His voice was manly and lyrical - as if the language was made to suit his speech pattern. Even sitting in the middle of a dying world - he looked strangely majestic with long, soft brown hair, and a clean white kimono. His face was shaped perfectly with every eyelash and tooth in perfect line. It looked as if he'd been painted to represent an angel.

_But that's basically what he IS anyway.. An angel._

As if hearing her thoughts, Fafnir turned to her. She suddenly felt very dirty next to him.

"You have matured into a beautiful young woman," he grinned boyishly. "I remember when you were just a naive seventeen year old who had yet to learn of the world. I see wisdom in your eyes now." His grey orbs bore into her own emerald ones.

"I'm not.. That great," she mumbled. "I still make mistakes and I still let my emotions rule me."

"As all humans should do," he said gently. "I have given you an incredibly hard destiny to fulfill. I don't suppose you realize - but many other people would have crumbled under the responsibility.. But here you are, talking to me right now."

"Plus she chose to accept this fate," Haekeri added humbly. "She did not have to take this mission. But she did. And for that, I knew we picked the right human to help with our problem."

Under both their praise, she felt small and embarrassed, her cheeks flushing crimson and she was picking at her nails to avoid their stares. Fafnir flicked back his brunette hair and surveyed the valley around them.

"It really _is _too bad you both could not have seen this world on a good day."

"The Heavens are much better. I've not gotten to walk through them in so long." Haekeri sighed wistfully and his ears drooped.

Fafnir laughed good-naturedly. "I'm confident you'll be joining the rest of us again soon, old friend. We await from news from Shu, about your journey every day. I'd rather be on your end to be perfectly honest. Just waiting, makes the mind more fearful.." He trailed off and closed his eyes for a second, before turning them on Sakura once again. "I am glad you are here today, Miss Haruno. Shu has been telling me of your guilt - the pain you have been putting yourself through as of late."

It was like being told off by her old academy teacher, Sakura bit her lip and nodded silently.

"Any deaths, along the way is inevitable," Fafnir sighed. "At such a big mission, a big task - it cannot be helped. We will mourn the loss of anyone and we have to move on again, before our minds take over," he gestured around at the valley. "This will perhaps become the same as the world you live in now. Everything decaying and everyone you know and love, dying.."

"I just, can't help feeling like a murderer though.." She whispered.

Fafnir closed his eyes. "Is that the root of the problem?"

"Partly."

"And the other part?"

Sakura nibbled on her lip so hard, that the copper taste of blood was on her tongue. She was playing with her hands in her lap and trying with all her might to not stare at Fafnir and his pure eyes.

"It's just.. I feel that... I feel that if I can't even protect strangers, then I won't even be able to protect my... My friends." Their innocent faces flashed through her mind and she closed her eyes and willed them to leave her alone. Feeling a firm hand on her shoulder, she glanced up to see Fafnir smiling kindly down at her. He took her hand and crouched in front of the bench.

"You are not as weak as you think - make no mistake. Rōshi only died because the demon within him, ate him from inside out - due to his lack of willpower and hunger for wealth and women. As for Naruto, you and I _both _know that he will never go down without a fight," Fafnir smiled and stroked her wrists, a sense of calm flooded her. "That boy is a law unto himself. When comes the time to extract Kyuubi, you _will _know what to do, and how to keep him safe. I promise."

Haekeri growled quietly. "That Kyuubi.."

Fafnir gave him a small glance and suddenly that smile returned and he was patting Sakura's pink head fondly. He seemed to float back to his own bench and lowered himself down, regarding them both silently.

"I also know that you have been joined by Kisame, Deidara and Tobi."

"Yes, I.. Uh.. Worked with them for a while, didn't I?" Sakura gabbled.

Fafnir smirked. "Yes you did. That Deidara is very pure, a very true being - despite the barrier that he sometimes likes to put up between himself and the rest of the world."

"He's currently back in the Rock village - trying to bring the next demon container back to us," she explained. "To be honest I feel kind of guilty sending him back there.. When he has.. So many bad memories of it."

"That boy was always strong," Fafnir said confidently. "Even when he was teased as a child for bearing resemblance to a girl, he did never back down and never gave up without a fight. Going back to his past will grant him peace. It would have been wrong of you to deny him that."

"That's what Cairo said. He said by doing it, he'll be proving his trust to us."

Fafnir nodded. "You probably will never have guessed it - but you and Naruto are the closest friends he has ever had. After the betrayal of Miroku, Deidara has never since been able to open up his heart to anyone else. But when you and Naruto joined the Akatsuki, he knew you were both genuine from the moment he set eyes on you. I would bet anything, he still holds that friendship dear to him."

Suddenly, Sakura felt like curling up into a ball and crying. She felt so pathetic for worrying about her _own _issues when there were people in the world far more deserving of it than she was. She felt her eyes water and she hid her face behind her hands. Haekeri nor Fafnir drew attention to it and pretended to be interested in the rotting gazebo. When she was done, Haekeri rose to his feet and stared at the sky.

"Shu is nearing the last dregs of his energy." The dragon said quietly. Sakura followed his gaze to see that the clouded sky above them, was shimmering in and out of focus. There seemed to be an oddly shaped moon beginning to appear from behind the clouds. Shafts of lights beamed down on the valley and glittered silently on the water, the starlight reflecting in every direction.

Fafnir looked strangely lonely, he stepped forwards and gently patted Haekeri and whispered something in his ear, to which the dragon nodded and split his jaw into a grin. Fafnir slid towards Sakura, his sandals making no sound on the sand and placed his hands on her shoulders and kissed her on the forehead.

_"The daughter of nature is you." _He murmured in Bhadra. Sakura was just about to open her mouth and thank him for everything, when the world around them shattered and she was dragged at immense speed back through the valley and into the darkened tunnel with Haekeri gliding silently next to her.


	23. FiveTailed Gobi

**Hulllllllo! I've decided to devise a timetable in which I hopefully manage to get some writing done, find a job AND focus on my A-Level work. Gahhhh. Things have been kind of distressful lately and I find myself unable to focus and have the morale to finish a lot of my work. Anywhooo, I'm trying my best and I'm determined to do my best, because I'd love to show those who don't believe in me, that I'm a fucking winner!**

**Review please.**

"... Blah ... " - Speech

_" ... Blah ... "_ - Thoughts, flashbacks and Bhadra.

**" ... Blah ..." - **Kyuubi and Haekeri

* * *

**Betrayal 3: Destiny's Darkness**

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Five-Tailed Gobi**

**-&-**

Deidara licked his lips and wiped away the many beads of sweat that littered his forehead. He adjusted his position slightly - always keeping his eyes on the night guard, who patrolled, un-suspecting somewhere above.

To tell the honest truth, Deidara was more scared than he'd ever been in his life. Perhaps even more so than when he witnessed Miroku - his best friend, torturing a helpless demon container. _His best friend.._

Deidara was pulled out of his memories to the sound of someone coughing heavily. He used his mechanical eye to zoom in once again on the guard, who looked impatiently at his watch. It was nearly time for Deidara to make his move. The guard moved off slightly to the left and into the small cabin atop the wall, to radio down for the next ninja to take over the night shift. He failed to notice the mesh of Blonde hair whipping past the window into the blackness of the night again.

And boom, that was it. Deidara had officially returned back to the Rock village. His home.

He was in the middle of a normally busy market square in the daytime. He estimated it to be about three in the morning and hopefully - most of the village were asleep in their beds, unawares that an apparent murderer was in their midst.

He stood in the spot and scanned around for any signs of life. He had no idea where to go next - sure enough, outside he _did _have some sort of plan worked out in his head. But upon stepping back into his memories, that plan had flown right out of his head and was lost completely. He stared blankly into the night and cursed himself.

"Dammit, I can't just _walk _out and come back again!" He hissed and forced his legs to move. They were hesitant at first, and seemed to lead him down the streets that he used to walk as a kid. He cursed himself again and sank back into the shadows of a dark alleyway.

"Calm down," he whispered, taking deep breaths. "Calm the fuck down. Don't screw this up." That seemed to do the trick, and Deidara stepped confidently out from the alleyway and slid through the shadows into the quietest streets. Although he was actually able to direct is body now, he couldn't seem to help but a niggling feeling at the back of his mind - like an itch he couldn't scratch.

That 'itch', wanted him to go to where Miroku used to live.

Of course, it was an incredibly dangerous thought that could land him in huge trouble. He silently cringed at the thought of Sakura and the others having to come to his aid, should he be caught,

And what if Miroku and his family didn't even _live _there anymore? He'd just more or less be a stranger creepily standing outside some poor person's lovely home.

Still, the idea was like a drug that he couldn't seem to force out of his system. The need filled every cell of his body. Every chakra point screamed in protest along with his sub-conscious.

"If on the off-chance I _did_ see Miroku.. I'd probably end up tearing off his head.." Deidara whispered doubtfully.

But would he? Would he really?

He honestly didn't know.

But this itch was becoming increasingly hard to sustain. And if he didn't follow it, he'd know he'd regret it for the rest of his days. He needed closure. To be able to feel the warmth of the sun on his skin again as a free man, no longer shackled by memories..

Right, that was it.

Deidara wasted no more time in thinking and raced to the other end of the village in which he remembered Miroku resided. He didn't even much care who may have happened to see him, anymore. He ignored the guilt of the mission he was _meant _to be focusing on, and licked his lips at the thought of freedom, once more.

The run itself didn't take very long, and half of the way, Deidara took to the roofs and leaped like a small cat from one to the next. He passed many shops, houses and restaurants that stuck old strongly from his childhood. The places where he'd hang after a long day at the academy with his friends, the shop where he once bought a milkshake for a girl he'd once had a crush on, a year before she died of illness.

God, there was so much he'd forgotten, that was coming back to him now. Images and scenes flashed before his eyelids and he found himself mentally laughing and crying along with them.

If only they all could see him now. A criminal.

The house itself hadn't changed much. There were the green shutters on the windows and the pale front door - which had peeled over time. The curtains had changed into newer style and Deidara was disappointed to see that there was no flare of light behind them. He didn't know what he was expecting to happen. He figured the answer would have just come to him when he arrived.

His eyes scanned the builing and found Miroku's and Kayla's bedroom window. He noticed the slight gap between the curtains.

Deidara dug into his pocket for a lump of clay and gently, but quickly began to mould it with the mouths on his hands - tossing it back and forth until it began to take the shape of a small bird. He examined it carefully from every angle and lifted it high into the air.

_"We're best friends. Right, Deidara?"  
_

The bird took flight and made a beeline for the bedroom window. It settled silently on the window sill and peered into the gloom of the glass for a few minutes. It flew back to Deidara - who caught it and lifted it up to his ear. The clay bird told him that there were at least two sleepers in the room plus a baby sleeper in a cot.

"Must be a second child," Deidara muttered. "Her first kid must be too old to sleep in the same room, now." He felt strangely lonely. Miroku had betrayed him, and still gotten to have the perfect family of a wife and two - perhaps more children. Deidara had a few scattered memories. That was it.

A clock chimed four O' clock somewhere in the village. He swore quietly. He'd wasted a whole _hour._

The thoughts of Miroku flew from his head and Sakura's face was back in his mind again. He _had _to finish the task for her. He had to.

He set off for the Tsuchikage building in which everything started. He was suddenly aware that his legs were shaking so much that it became annoying to run and leap. He was ashamed that he was shaking like a common _dog. _He was better than this, he was in the Akatsuki!

The building rose up like some kind of haunted house with every window facing him and judging him. He managed to avoid the two guards atop the roof - both drinking their sake and nattering about their 'glory' days. At one point, Deidara stumbled loudly trying to reach one of the windows, but luckily one of the guards laughed loudly at the exact same time and Deidara was safe.

After all, he had the bird and the rest of the clay stowed away safe in his pocket. Should he have to make a hasty escape..

He clambered into the nearest window and landed with a soft thud on the cream carpet. With slow horror, he realized that _this _room used to be his office! _His _awards and certificates used to hang over on that wall. _His _photos of friends used to be in pride of place on the desk. _His _paperwork used to stand there, waiting for him to be bothered to complete it.

Even the room had turned and betrayed him, now belonging to someone named 'Kyushu Wan' - according to the golden plate hanging on the door. Now the room was nothing to him, held none of his achievements. Everything he'd ever accomplished was now forgotten and dead.

Why was he even getting this upset over a stupid room for?

He kicked open the door and stomped down the hallway - secretly proud of the muddy footprint he'd left on the shiny wooden surface.

If he remembered correctly, the caverns were located at the base of the building and led under the ground to the caverns to which the five-tailed demon should still be held captive. He estimated that if he'd gotten down there _once_, by accident - then the security surely must have rose.

And he was correct. Just down the next corridor leading to the first flight of downward stairs, there were security cameras lining the walls - directed at every possible route he could think of.

He smirked and dug around for some clay. He darted his arm around the corner of the corridor and quickly dumped it in the middle of the floor. He retreated a few further steps back and uttered something under his breath. A few seconds later, there was the sound of a small explosion and the cameras were twisted into broken scraps on metal and glass on the floor. It would not be long before someone noticed, so he wasted no time and flew down the stairs - destroying those irritating cameras whenever he could and ducking into the shadows when a guard strode lazily on by.

He had no idea how much time had passed. He had to hurry before the villagers and shinobi woke up to start another day.

He found himself in the horribly familiar marble hall once more. It looked darker and more sinister than Deidara had remembered. Each step he took reverberated around the hall about a thousand times louder than it actually was and managed to some more distorted every time. He was worried that someone would hear and come running, but luck seemed to be with him for once.

Retracing his steps from all those years ago, he shuffled forward and into the nearest dark corridor and clambered through the gloom, straining his eyes to see the path in front.

He could only imagine the screams of that poor pathetic container, being tortured and beaten for the demon that wasn't even his fault. For years after, Deidara recalled having nightmares about those screams. A couple of times it was _him _in the prisoner's place - and Miroku had the shackles and was bearing down evil little smirks... Deidara shook his head violently - now was not the time to be distracted. He'd been lucky so far, but it wouldn't be long before he'd need that same luck to escape out of this hellhole...

There was only one door - painted pitch black, so even Deidara could spot it in the gloom.

He swallowed his nervousness and grasped the rotten doorknob, the door swung silently inwards and the tiniest sliver of light fell on his sandals.

The room was pretty much the same as he'd remembered it. There was a small bundle of rags in the corner presumably used as a makeshift bed, and a chamber pot the other side of the room which doubled as a toilet. From one of the brackets on a wall, was a single burning torch which was nearing the end of its life and burning down to the stump of the fickle wood. Bathed in the small light under it, was a ragged looking man.

Deidara stepped further into the room and crouched in front of him. The man was giving off an incredibly bad odor and his porcelain skin was ridden with dirt and crust. His pale hair was unwashed and untidy. It was clear that this man didn't have too long to live anyway.

"What's your name?" Deidara muttered and checked his forehead for a temperature. It would be troubling if he had to carry the man all the way out of the village.

He trembled and licked his lips. "H-Han."

"Well Han," Deidara said. "This is your lucky day. I'm going to get you out of here to get some help, okay? I won't let them hurt you, yeah?" His words were lost to the sound of the black door slamming shut. Deidara whirled round with a kunai already in hand and he glared defiantly into the darkness.

"Knew you guys wouldn't just let me walk in," he smiled. "Come and show me your face, coward. Whoever you are." He positioned himself in front of a confused and dazed Han. There was the sound of slow footsteps and another man melted into the flickering light. He gave an awkward looking wave and tossed his black mask to the corner of the room. Upon seeing his face and all-too-familiar red hair, Deidara snarled.

Miroku stared steadily back and brushed the hair from his eyes. Age had got to him and wrinkles framed his face. It looked as if he had a limp - a possible injury from a long ago mission. He was also missing two fingers from his left hand.

"Looking a bit worse for wear are we?" Deidara tutted.

Miroku smiled. "Said by you." He tapped his eye. Around his wrist, was a small tote bag that was intertwined together with soft bamboo. Inside it, looked horribly like Deidara's lost eyeball. However, he didn't really want to know.

"You were always an excellent aimer," Deidara muttered. "How'd you know I was here?"

"It seems as if you were outside my house earlier, dear friend. Tell me, didn't the Akatsuki warn you about walking into enemy villages without protection? Without any sort of disguise?"

"Why would I disguise myself in my own village? I have some pride as least." The blonde snapped. "And who the hell told you I was outside your house? There was nobody around!"

"Wrong," Miroku whispered. "Kayla got up to get herself some water. She saw you from the living room. She called me here at my office - I was working late, and she told me that our _dear _friend had returned."

Deidara could open gape in shock, Miroku looked pleased.

"Yes, your little birdie didn't specify _who_ was in the house did it? It was my three children that it spied sleeping in our bedroom. It's really too bad that Ryoko, Tooru and Ren did not get a chance to meet their.. _Beloved _uncle." Miroku had slowly begun circling him like a hawk and his prey. Deidara stood tall and forbade himself to let his emotions onto his face. He rolled his eyes comically and grasped the kunai tighter.

"I suppose Kayla doesn't know of your.. Work," Deidara gestured around the room. "I haven't been the only bad boy here have I?" He didn't bother waiting for an answer and dug around for his clay. He tossed it at Miroku and made a couple of hand signs.

A huge bang filled the room and there was dust everywhere. From above, shafts of dawn light beamed down and shone the way. Deidara spluttered and coughed and felt his way over to Han, who was breathing heavily and coughing. Deidara brought out another bird and placed it on the dusty floor. He made another hand sign and the bird slowly began growing larger and larger, until it filled half the room. By this time, the dust began clearing and Deidara could see the damage. He'd managed to successfully burst open the roof to reveal the pink and yellow sky. The room was covered in rubble and metal and rock. A splutter from the corner and Miroku clambered forwards in an attempt to grab Han, but his limp made him stumble heavily on to his knee. He gave a yelp of pain.

Deidara almost gave a hand to help him up, but he turned his back and picked up Han in his arms and easily swung him up on the bird's broad back. Deidara turned back to Miroku, who was scrambling pathetically to his feet, glaring.

"You may as well kill me - I suppose you're used to killing innocents by now, huh?"

Deidara took a step forward and stood shoulder to shoulder with him. He tore the tote back with his eyeball in, from Miroku's wrist and held it gingerly in his hands.

"I won't leave those kids without a father, BUT Miroku," Deidara narrowed his eyes. "You were _never _innocent. I was just naive enough, that I failed to notice that." The blonde gave one last hard look and sprung onto the back of the bird with Han.

"I see, that time has changed us both," Miroku muttered. "But I swear on my family's life... If you return to this village Deidara. I _will _destroy you."

Deidara said nothing and the giant clay bird spread its wings and soared through the huge gash in the roof. Within seconds, they were soaring in the morning light, above the districts. He could see that a couple of people had noticed the giant bird, and were pointing it out. But he didn't care. He grasped his eyeball more firmly and sat moodily, resting against the bird's neck.

To be truthful, he didn't really know what to feel. Anger, sorrow, regret - they were all the same really. Seeing Miroku just made him feel more sad and lonely. Deidara was stereotypically the 'bad guy' but Miroku was the snake under the flowers. Which one was more bad? He didn't know.

What's worse, was that Kayla was now turned against him as well. She and Deidara had become as close as brother and sister - but now she had been brainwashed into thinking he was nothing but a murderer, worse than dirt.

"You seem as if you have a lot to think about." Han commented, staring bleary-eyed into the sun. Now they were in the light, Deidara could tell that Han was about the same age, if not younger. In a way, being outside had made him look more healthy already and his porcelain skin was shining handsomely in the sun. The blonde didn't reply but merely nodded thoughtfully.

**-&-**

Sakura sighed and rested her head on her hands. She couldn't explain why she was staring out of the window with such feelings of regret. She had wanted to ask Fafnir so many questions but there was not enough time and she'd have to find her own answers for the time being.

She stroked Shu's head - who was in the middle of a well earned sleep after using up so much of his power and energy. In her mind, Haekeri was curled up in his corner and moodily swished his ten tails about. He wasn't too happy at being trapped in Sakura's mind again. He longed to be free and walk on his own legs.

Overall, that day was a depressing day.

There was a knock at the door and the next moment, Naruto stepped into the dark bedroom. He moved over to the windowsill where Sakura was sat and casually leaned against the wall.

"You okay?"

"A bit better than I was," she said truthfully. Now wasn't the time to explain her short journey to see Fafnir - she was too tired. "Had Deidara gone to the Rock?"

Naruto nodded slowly. "He should be back at any moment now, hopefully - it's nearly dawn and he said he'd be back by then.. I'm sorry if we all pissed you off yesterday, believe me - it's the last thing we want to do at the moment."

"It's fine," she said. "Actually, my mind is a tiny bit clearer now - I can see what I have to do and how I should do it. I doubt that we've hit the hardest part of the journey yet, but we need to be ready for what's to come." As the words came out of her mouth, she felt her heat rise a little and her courage soar. She _was_ strong enough to get through this. She wouldn't be here forever. Soon enough, she'd be back at home with her friends and everything would be normal again.

"That's good," he flashed her a gorgeous looking smile. "I promise after all of this, we can be a proper family. I'll be a good husband and dad." She could tell that he was glowing at the thought. She nodded in agreement and stepped forward to cuddle him close.

**-&-**

Deidara struggled under Han's weight - despite his skinniness - and together they ascended the stairs slowly. It was morning by now and surely, Miroku must have alerted the authorities about Deidara's 'kidnapping'. He just hoped he had enough time to get Han to safety before he found himself fighting his old friends.

Atop of the stairs, was a dark figure with a stupid orange mask. Deidara spied him and blatantly glared.

"What do you want?" He asked rudely.

Tobi visibly deflated. "Just wanted to know if you wanted any help Dei-Dei," he paused and glance at Deidara sweating. "But I see that you don't."

"Fuck off, Tobi."

The masked man sighed and shook his head. "We've been friends and partners now fooooor, how long? And yet you _still _abuse me and tell me to go away, gahh," Tobi faked a dry sob and pranced off back into the shadows, leaving Deidara to swear aloud and keep moving. He was coming to the end of his wits and at any moment now, he felt like dropping Han and running off to live in solitary for the rest of his miserable days. Coming to a white screen door, he kicked the damn thing open and managed to half-startled Ashi, who was reading a book on the floor.

"Wha-?"

"Got him," Deidara grunted and allowed Han to sink into the nearest chair. "Go get him some food and water, _NOW_." He watched as Ashi struggled to protest and went off to find the kitchen. The blonde turned back to Han and patted his arm.

"You're going to live, you know."

"Good," Han snorted. "I can't wait to tell my future children that I was saved by an _Akatsuki_." There was a slight bitterness in his words and a wave of guilt fell upon Deidara. The man licked his lips and began to speak again. "But however - you _did _spring me from that filth-ridden hellhole. So I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, for now." He closed his eyes and inhaled the air.

"We aren't all as bad as you think." Deidara mumbled and walked off to find Cairo or Sakura. He jogged hurriedly down the corridors and struggled to remember which room she and Naruto resided in. He guessed and clumsily banged on one of them. A few moments silence.. And Kisame opened the door.

"Gah." Deidara said.

"What a greeting," Kisame said sarcastically. "And to what exactly do I owe this pleasure?"

"Is Cairo or Sakura in there?"

"No one but me."

Deidara gave a roar of irritation and sprinted further along the corridors - his eyes swiveling from one cream finish to the next. He managed to collide into what felt like a brick wall and then he was sprawling painfully on the ground. He glanced up to see a mesh of blonde and pink staring down at him.

"Sakura!" Deidara breathed a jumped to his feet, giving himself serious case of head rush. "I got the container back! He's in Ashi's and Cairo's room."

She blinked stupidly for a few seconds and a look of recognition passed on her face. "Ohh, he's here? Now?"

"Yes!"

"Sakura, you could wait for a few minutes. To compose yourself." Naruto suggested and slipped a hand around her waist. He looked clearly worried, but Sakura shot him a quick smile.

"This is business," she said. "We need to get this all over a done with in order to be able to get on with our lives, don't we Naru?" She turned to Deidara. "Lead the way."

And so passing a clearly confused Kisame once more, they all followed the blonde back to where Han was seated comfortably with a bowl of Miso soup and a large glass and a pitcher of water. He looked rejuvenated already and Deidara breathed a silent breath of relief. To be honest, he wasn't at all sure if the container would manage to pull through of not. It looked as if his demon was slowly eating him from the inside.

Sakura must have noticed this too, because the first thing she did was quickly snatch away the water and meal when he was full, then she crouched in front of him with a look of concern.

"Do you understand what we have to do?"

He shot Deidara a strange look and shook his head. "I can make out a few guesses but blondie over there hasn't given me any details. I suppose it must be important though, for an Akatsuki to risk his life in order to bust me out.. You want dirt on the village or something?"

"No," Sakura smiled warmly. "We have no argument against the Rock. You see the thing is that we are.. Uhh.. Sort of demon hunters that are on a mission to eradicate all tailed demons from this world," she paused and blushed. "I know it sounds really farfetched and you may not believe it.. But we are going to extract the Five tails from you - for good."

A look of fury passed Han's expression. "But that will kill me!"

"It may do," Sakura said truthfully. "But I swear on my own heart that I will do everything in my power to safe your life. We have already saved two containers from their demons - and they are alive and well today. Although I must admit that the third died due to the fact his demon had already taken over him completely and he didn't have the will to stop it."

"You don't exactly leave me with a lot of choice," Han spat. "If I say no - my village will come and put me back in isolation. If I say yes - I could die."

Deidara noted that no one told Han that it didn't matter whether he agreed or not - they would still force the demon out of him. It was probably for the best.

Han fell silent - as if he could hear the thoughts of everyone reverberating loudly around the room. He sighed heavily and rubbed the scars on his wrists and arms that were so deep, they'd probably never fully heal. He gazed down into Sakura's confident face and nodded once.

"I'll do it then."

At his words, everyone relaxed and Sakura smiled - happy that she wasn't going to have to deck the man unconscious and then take the demon. She helped Han to his feet and rewarded him with another glass of water, which he drank like liquid gold. She then hauled his arm over her shoulder and whispered; "Let's get this over with."


	24. Of Past Memories and Birthday Cake

**Hey, first of all I apologise for not updating in so long, but to be honest - I've had a very very hard past year and a half or so and have struggled on a lot of things so much so, that I had to drop out of Sixth Form and take a gap year. All is looking up a little now though, since I return back to education in September and right now, it seems as if I have regained a little of my writing composure after the worst writer's block ever! Rawr..**

**Review please.**

"... Blah ... " - Speech

_" ... Blah ... "_ - Thoughts, flashbacks and Bhadra.

**" ... Blah ..." - **Haekeri

**Betrayal 3: Destiny's Darkness**

**Chapter Twenty-Four - Past Memories and Birthday Cake**

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**

_"Do you believe in destiny?"_

_Sakura glanced up from the fountain and stared hard at her friend. "Nope." She spat. Her friend's face was blurred out and a dull shade of grey. She couldn't even remember her name.._

_"Do you believe?"_

_Sakura frowned, her cheeks flushing pink with irritation. "Didn't I just say n-." She stopped and glared hard into the darkness, where her friend had once stood and smiled fondly at the girl's stubborness. It was only an empty spot now._

_**

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**_

"It's been a while since I had that dream.."

The sheets were hot and Sakura's body felt incredibly drained. She sunk back onto the bed with a groan and caressed her arms until the throbbing began to ease. She tried to summon up enough chakra for energy - but even that failed. Where on earth had all of her energy gone to? She rubbeed her head as a flash of the day before came to her mind. She saw Han walking away demon-free after a long, long extraction. He wished her luck..

"Destiny, huh?" She scoffed and sighed.

**

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**

The day started off as blistering hot - strange for the start of a Japanese winter but nevertheless wecolmed. Naruto had long become bored of trudging through the endless rain and fog over the past half a year they'd been on the road. He was beginning to wonder if his feet would evolve eventually into flippers. He paused, halfway through his bath and kicked his feet out of the water a few times. Nope, nothing.

He pulled out a sponge and quickly douzed the soap from his torso, if he wasted any more time with the bath, Sakura would get pissed off and march in there and drag him out. She wanted everything to be perfect that day. Ashi's Birthday.

Sure, the little squirt had survived another year with them without _too much_ trouble,but Naruto couldn't help but think that the kid would not want to bother with the day anyway. Celebrating someone's existance in the middle of a deathly mission wasn't exactly _fun. _Poor kid.

"Naruto -_ hurry up_!"

And on cue, Sakura was already pounding her fist on the door, it creaked in protest.

Naruto sighed and heaved himself out of the tub, first letting the soap rinse back down into the basin. He shook his wet hair like a dog and quickly dried himself off with a rough towel hanging by the side. Naruto held onto the cool towel rack, the steam was beginning to make him feel a little dizzy. He took a moment to breathe and then slipped into the clothes he'd laid out for himself previously. Thin air pooled into the room as soon as he'd opened the door. He drank it in gratefully and waundered back into his and Sakura's bedroom. Thankfully, she had returned to the living room, where it sounded as if Kisame and Deidara were playing a loud poker game.

He rummaged around in his backpack and Sakura's, looking for a bottle of painkillers for his headache. He thought breifly about asking her to use her medic skills on him.. But no, she'd been looking so tired and weak recently, that he would _rather _suffer quietly with the pain.

A bolt of light flashed behind his eyelids. He moaned and rubbed them hard. What the hell was _that?_ The pain intensified. He gasped and held his head tightly.

The room began growing unbeliveably warm - considering as it was already a hot day. Naruto fumbled with the radiator notches in confusion. He kicked the small window open wider. But despite his efforts, the heat beagn to grow in intensity - waves of it were rising up from the dusty floorboards and hung around in mid-air. With it, waves of red hot anger flooded the pit of Naruto's belly like a sinking stone. He felt his love, his happiness, his hopes and his dreams disentergrate into nothingness and what was there before, was only replaced by darkness. Only one thing could have such an effect on him.. As he came to a horrifying conclusion, a huge smirking face appeared into view. Naruto barely had time to blink before his body flew across the room and collided with a lampshade. He cursed quietly and glared and the Kyuubi - settled neatly at the end of the bed. The fox regarded him silently. The air around him sparked with intensity. He swished his tail lazily.

"Hey kit," he smirked once again. "Long time, no smell."

"Not long enough," Naturo spat. "What the hell are you doing out of my head?"

Kyuubi narrowed his eyes. "I'm still in here," he pointedly looked at the giant lock behind Naruto. "I just... Decided to decorate a bit.

"Fabulous," Naruto hissed. "Why don't you pursue a career in it and leave me the _hell _alone?"

"Because little kitty - you and I are bonded at the soul whether we like it or _not_. I'd love nothing more than to tear you limb from limb!" The fox growled and spent a few seconds to regain his composure. "Anyway, I'm only talking to you because I _have _to."

Naruto's eyebrows furrowed; "And would you like to explain why?

The fox regarded him with cold eyes. "Pretty soon, it will be inevitable that you'll meet your end, kit," he said slowly. "I'm here to tell you - no.. _warn _you to go back to your insolent little village and be a good little demon boy."

"So, you want me to abandon everything here and go home?"

"Yes."

Naruto blinked and gave a loud snort. He slowly held up his arm and extended two fingers.

"Fuck. You."

At this, the fox began to writhe and spit like a wounded cat. Chains erupted from the red hot ground and wrapped themselves around the screaming fox. He began to descend back into the darkness of Naruto's sub conscious once again.

"Rest assured," Naruto yelled over the noise. "If I so happen to die - I'm taking you with me!" And thast was it. The intense heat and headaches disappeared along with Kyuubi's howling. Naruto found himself sinking out of his own mind and back in the bedroom.

Naruto wiped his forehead - covered in cold sweat. He opened the windows wide and let the near-winter breeze filter through.

"Damn him to hell." Naruto was partly shaking due to shock and partly to anger. Shock because Kyuubi had managed to influence his reality so much and anger because, he wanted Naruto to abandon his wife and friends, over his own life. Pathetic.

"Naruto?"

"Yeah?" He turned to see Sakura smiling at him from the doorway. The smile soon turned to a pout.

"Are you okay? You were kinda taking a while so I came to check up on you - everybody's waiting!"

Naruto grinned at the fact she was brimming with happiness. He couldn't really blame her.. The girl must have gotten used to the stress of her stupid quest by now, that she didn't exactly have a lot to look forward to.. And Naruto couldn't exactly imagine them all having a very merry Christmas on the road. But should he let her know that Kyuubi had affected him so much - to be able to pull him into his own mind? He'd already guessed the risks and seen the fear in her eyes - it didn't exactly take a genius to tell that Sakura would one day have to battle _him._

There would be no final battle however - he was going to lie down and let her extract the demon when the time came.

"I'm fine - I promise," he smiled sweetly. "I was just thinking that I'm going to be the best father ever!" He touched her barely-showing stomach. For some reason, he felt the pain and worry melt away when he touched the bump and felt her warm skin. It always made him feel so special.

Sakura smirked, "Might I remind you that our son or daughter is absolutely _banned_ from wearing the colour orange?"

"You mentioned it once.. But I'm still gonna persist.." He took her hand and they made their way to the living room.

The room itself was adorned in paper decorations and a huge banner that spread across the wall that suspiciously looked like someone's bedsheet - it read 'Happy Birthday Ashi' and dangled happily above Naruto's head. There was a pile of small presents in the corner - neither one of them brightly wrapped as wrapping paper was so hard to come by when you were strapped for yen. Ashi himself was sat in the kotatsu at the centre of the room - looking the most amused he'd ever been at the poker game which still raged on. He glanced up to see Naruto pat him on the shoulder and murmur a "Happy Birthday, squirt."

Naruto indicated to the action, "What's all this about anyway?"

"Deidara and Kisame are teaching me the ways of being a _man_," Ashi grinned and had a sip of his sake. "Apparently it involved getting drunk and yelling a lot."

"Tsunade could have told you that much," Naruto muttered."

"That's because Dei-Dei is a retard and a very very bad gambler," Tobi exclaimed brightly and clapped Deidara's shoulder cheerfully. The blonde clay maker glared back at him, with the hate of the fiery pits of hell.

"Enough with this stupid card game," Sakura moaned. "Shall we get onto the main event now?" She didn't wait for the answer - but slid behind the kitchen doorway and returned a few moments later with a huge blue and white iced cake.

The decoration was flawless - swirly writing read "Happy Birthday!" around the top, with a number of swirls around the sides and an edible Uchiha symbol - Sakura had really outdone herself. But then again, so had everyone with the looks of the paper decorations that littled the walls and ceiling, Naruto noted. Deidara had even ventured a few clay sculptures here and there.

"Wow," Ashi murmuered. "Sakura - you really didn't have to."

"But I did." She said simply and placed the cake on the table in front of him and handed him a knife. "You get the first taste - so make a wish, okay?"

Ashi nodded and gracefully took the knife. He took a few seconds to close his eyes and squeeze them shutn in concentration. He slid the blade into the soft icing and filing oozed out from the middle. Everyone clapped and Kisame yelled, "They grow up fast don't they?"

"So what did you wish for?" Deidara grinned. "Nothing stupid like a fairy princess dress, right?"

Ashi smirked. "Now that would be telling, now wouldn't it Deidara?"

"'Then," Cairo smiled. "I guess this young man deserves some presents!" Everyone agreed in unison and the celebrations continued.

_I wish that Uncle Sasuke.. I want you you to come home safely, when we return.. So we can continue living together again. Like a real family._

**

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**

Sakura was outside on the small hillside. She was watching the colours fade together in the sunset - captivated by the tones dancing around each other like a formal dance. She lay down in the tall grass and put her arms behind her head and watched the orange sky above bathe everything in a rich golden glow. She was aware of the crunch of boots approaching. A few seconds later, Deidara's face popped into view.

"Alone?"

"Do you see anyone else?" She laughed.

"No Naruto?"

"He's asleep, he's been strangely tired and drained all day long, so I told him to go and get some rest and I would check up on him again later. So I came out here to think for a bit. Ashi still having fun?"

Deidara helped himself to the patch of grass beside her. "Passed out. He and Kisame started up a few drinking games. Both of them lost."

"I can imagine. Kisame always was an idiot." She snorted.

"Man, you got that right," Deidara agreed. "Every mission I was parterned with him on back in the Akatsuki, usually always ended in him chatting up some waitress in a run down bar - and getting punched in the face." He paused. "And when you came along - well, he almost couldn't help himself!"

"I would rather not be in his fishy fantasies! Despite his perverted nature though, he's a really good guy deep down I think - the same with Naruto... And you." She added menacingly.

Deidara frowned. "Oi, I was always your trusted sensei - not some perverted old guy!"

Sakura smiled. "Training with you was always fun. Although you always _insisted _on keeping me outside till dinner time - you ever realised how annoying that was? Especially when I had to cook as well for a gang of criminals!"

"Needed to make sure you were not slacking on your behalf," he looked down. "Pein does not like weaklings in his organisation. He would have ended up killing you if you did not progress - plus you already knew way too much about us."

Sakura fell silent and thoughtfully snatched up some of the long grass and let it grass and let it fall through her fingers again and again. The sun fell slowly further down the horizon, casting shadows upon them and the surrounding landscape. It made Deidara look like a lifeless skeleton. She shivered. If Pein had ordered it - would Deidara have been the one to ignore their friendship and kill her? It gave her the chills just thinking about it...

"I have an idea." She said finally.

"What's that?"

She stared at his shadow-filled face. How about we have another quick training session before the sun completely dies on us?" She shrugged. "For old times sake."

Deidara snorted. "With you holding the power of the most powerful tailed beast? No _way_."

"Scared?" She teased.

"Oh definitely," he sighed. "Plus I'm getting old-.."

"You're only three years older than I am!"

He smirked. "Plus I wouldn't want to _embarrass _you or anything.."

Sakura got to her feet and yanked the blonde up to his. She marched them down a little further down the hill that was situated in a more free and open space. She gave a small smile and dug down into her pocket, dug out her gloves and put them on.

"I'll tell you what, I'll be fair," she announced and took a fighting stance. "No chakra battle. Fists and strategy only."

"I don't remember even _agreeing_ to this," he grumbled. "But sure, whatever. I'll have to show you my new clay techniques another time I guess.." Deidara pouted and tossed his cloak to the ground and took up a defensive position. Neither one of them move for a little while, both daring each other with their gazes. Sakura was the one who decided to break it, and propelled herself forwards at lightening speed and fist at the ready. Deidara merely moved slightly to the right and brushed off her fist with his burly forearm.

"A full frontal attack, seriously?" He pouted. "Come on Sakura - I thought I taught you better than that?"

"You did," she purred. "Which is why you sub consciously let your guard down." She threw the left side of her body upwards and hooked the back of her leg around his neck and forced him downwards to where she brought her other knee upwards and squared him clean in the chin. He groaned and tried to incapacitate her by hitting a pressure point - but she was too quick and evaded.

Sakura slid backwards into the grass and allowed Deidara a few seconds to recover before she darted forwards once more and attempted to go for his kidneys. Deidara caught her by the arms and grinned, despite the blood leaking down from the cut on his chin.

"I'm not going to apologise for over-estimating you."

"Good," Sakura sighed. "I haven't got enough time in the world - to watch you grovel to me." She poked out her dainty tongue and scissor kicked him. He blocked with ease and spun round on the balls of his feet to trip her up. Her legs collasped from underneath her and she cursed. She grabbed his leg and tried to yank him downwards - but he danced away from her.

"Lacking!" He sang.

Sakura bit her lip and concentrated like mad. She knew that with only one eye and hair covering half of his face - he wouldn't be able to see as well on his left side - a potential blind spot that she could exploit to her own advantage. Also, he would pretty much run out of steam pretty fast without the aid of his clay. She gave an evil smirk and clapped her fists together.

"Let me show you how it's done." Deidara bragged. He took up a fancy stance and mock bowed. He then came at her with some fancy footwork, darting to the left and right. Sakura sighed and forced herself into a hand stand and began to twirl her legs around into a roundhouse kick, till she felt a connection with something hard. Deidara grunted and tossed her legs aside and booted her gently in the spine. She huffed at the thought that he was going _easy _on her. She returned the kick to his spine with ten _times _the strength. He recoiled and pouted like a small child.

"Hey - and I was nice enough to not cripple you to a wheelchair for the rest of your life!" He complained.

"Just think of me as the woman who's going to kick your ass." She taunted.

Deidara started moving again - Sakura matching his every step as soon as he'd even thought of it. He tried to use the same tactic again of left-right-left-right, but Sakura stayed in step easily and even managed to trick him a few times by adding some fake moves of her own. Deidara broke free from the odd dance and swung his elbows into her shoulderblades. Sakura bit down hard on her lip to stop her from crying out aloud. She channeled the pain into her fists and began pounding any part of his body she could reach. One, two, three, four, _five_ hits. Deidara leapt into the air and brought the bottom of his leg back down into the grass with a _thud _and soil showered everywhere. Sakura just barely rolled out of the way in time and now found herself covered in mud and grass. She swore and turned to throw her arm into Deidara's torso before he could recover from his last attack. He saw her trying to conceal her second punch, so he took her wrist, twisted it unti she cried out in pain and kicked her away from him.

Both Sakura and Deidara continued to battle until the sun was barely over the horizon and the world around them was nearly plunged into darkness.

Sakura let herself fall to the ground heavily - from somewhere behind her, she heard Deidara do the same thing.

She couldn't quite believe that her body was aching in so many places! She honestly didn't know what she preffered - extracting a tailed _demon _or fighting Deidara - both of which made her feel like absolute _crap _afterwards. She was also bleeding in several places and sweating rather heavily.

After catching some of her breath back into her lungs, she heaved herself up and quickly checked the injuries - nothing too major, except for a little soil encrusted cut on the forehead.

"How're you doing?" She croaked. There was a few moments of silence and then a groan and Deidara replied;

"I feel like I had the crap kicked outta me by the devil himself!"

She chuckled. "I think the devil himself would have made less mess." She indicated to the small, open space that they had trained on which was shining with beauty earlier - was now littered in dents and dead blades of grass.

"Aww crap, now I feel all bad for this place.. As if I didn't feel bad enough!" He coughed a little and began to stumble to his feet and wiped the dried blood from his chin. By now, the sun had decided to fully set and had now cast and purpley glow on the land. The stars in the dark blanket above them began to glimmer weakly.

Sakura sighed and took a step. She felt dizzy for a second and then it passes quickly. She gazed one last time at the skies and then turned her attention to the blonde.

"Didn't go too hard on you did I?" She taunted weakly. Deidara chuckled.

"I'm glad you haven't lost any of your skill, Sakura. It seems as if Haekeri really _did _choose his container well."

"You say that as if you thought I'd be horrible from the start!"

"Yeah well," he shrugged. "Having a tailed demon is an absolutely huge responsibility. And well.. The only other person able to understand your situation more than anyone else _is _Naruto," he paused an stared her dead in the eyes. Even in the darkness, Sakura could tell that he looked serious. "No matter how much you love him and don't want to burden him with your troubles.. I'm sure that Naruto _wants _to know what you feel - about anything. So.. Don't block yourself off from him, okay? Confide a little." Deidara nodded and began to make his way back to the inn alone.

_Where did that come from?_ Sakura wondered. Did she really convey that much feeling with her fists then she normally did with just _talking _to Naruto? She kicked the dirt at her feet, in deep thought and began to make her way back as well. _Naruto has the Kyuubi to deal with, which causes way more problems than actually solves. I feel guilty every time I add to that burden._

**So you make him worry to make yourself feel better? **Haekeri said quietly. Sakura didn't reply and sighed heavily. she cast her mind back to when she and Haekeri had gone to visit Fafnir on the plane between both worlds.

_"That Deidara is a very pure, a very true being - despite the barrier he sometimes puts up between himself and the rest of the world.. That boy was always strong... You and Naruto are the truest friends he has ever had and I would bet anything that he still holds that friendship dear to him..."  
_

She felt tears gathering in her eyes again, just as they did when Fafnir had first spoken those words. She entered the Inn at a slow pace and made her way back to their room - still lost within the depths of her thoughts. She silently entered the bedroom - where Naruto was quietlyu snoring - his chest rising and falling peacfully in the soft innocent moonlight. Sakura wriggled out of her ruined clothes and slipped naked under the sheets. She had only just noticed the small ball of loneliness that sat at the bottom of her chest, so she turned on her side and hugged Naruto's back tightly. He groaned in his sleep like a small animal but stayed asleep.

Sakura sighed and began to think about the past 7 or so months they had spent on the road, sleeping either rough under the stars or being lucky enough to find a cheap Inn - such at that night. Her mind wandered back to the bustling streets and the busy murmur of the Leaf village. She wondered how Lady Tsunade was doing and had Shizune found an alternative to her drinking binges yet? Were her friends okay and what were they doing? Had they forgotten about her already? Did they even realise she was gone?

Sakura sighed once more - everyday she felt as if she was getting more and more tired, plus having to carry around hers and Naruto's child, was a hefty worry on her mind.

"Not too much longer to go now, we're more than halfway through the demons, I guess." She whispered. The thought itself cheered her up considerably. She clung to Naruto a little tighter and began to imagine a completely another world, another time - where she, Naruto and their unborn child were playing together in fields that were full of light...


	25. Back to Memoirs Beginning

**Hey guys - so I have resolved to finish this fic roughly before Septemer - which is when I go back to Sixth Form and after then, I'm afraid that I don't know whether I will be able to continue updating as much or not because I'm going to try really hard this next year. I admit, it's gonna be said to say goobye to this sries, but it's been going on for about 4 years or so - and by the time the last chapter comes around, I know for a fact that I'm going to be in tears! Anyway, enjoy the chappie!**

**Review please? :D**

"... Blah ... " - Speech

_" ... Blah ... "_ - Thoughts, flashbacks and Bhadra.

**" ... Blah ..." - **Haekeri

* * *

**Betrayal 3: Destiny's Darkness**

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Back to Memoirs Beginning**

It was December and the winter had turned bitter on Sakura's journey. As they walked, vicious sheets of sleet and snow whipped around their bodies and attempted to freeze them to death. The only thought that possibly kept them going, was the fact that they were heading for shelter slowly but surely. In fact, it was all Tobi's idea, that they head back to the old Akatsuki hideout in order to plan their next movements. The rest of the group thought that it was a decent idea and made no objection.

Of course though, For Sakura it would be very weird - she still wondered about all the memories she shared with the rest of Akatsuki and Naruto in that tiny house at the edge of the world. Of course, it wasn't exactly a place that would have liked to bring her unborn child to, but it was better than nothing. She was sick of walking through the rain and snow.

Overall, it took them around three weeks to walk from their last position to where the hideout was situated. Tobi had reminded them all that no one had used it for a really long time, so the house probably needed a lot of repairs - but with luck, the electricity and water supply should still work. Sakura gave a small smile when he'd first said that and cast her mind back to the last time she had a hot shower in the base - it was the same day as she confessed her love for Naruto.

"Here we are then," Tobi announced the shoved away a ton of branches and wet leaves aside. He stopped at the entrance and turned back to them all. "Welcome to _casa de Tobi_."

Kisame gribbed his sword and shoved the masked man aside, "Shut up Tobi."

"But Fishy-chan." Tobi moaned, and followed him through the rusted steel door. Sakura was also about to follow on, when she felt a squirming in her backpack - she reached into it and pulled out a protesting ferret. It was obvious that Shu did not like the essence of the place whatsoever. Sakura had to agree there - they hadn't even entered yet, but the building was giving her a big sense of unease. Naruto saw this and slid his hand into hers quietly and pulled her inside.

The interior itself, looked exactly the same as Sakiura had remembered it - down from the vintage type wallpaper to the dead looking plant in the corner of the hallway and the coat stand - which no one ever thought to use.

The layout of the house came back to her quite easily. Itachi's office was directly to the left and the bedrooms were up the stairs on the right wing of the house, the kitchen was to the left - if you followed a number of dark corridors. Directly north of her was the greenhouse and the training grounds which included a small barn and the thick forest with mangled trees that sometimes resembled horrific faces at nighttime.

Sakura placed Shu down to let him explore for himself and she led Naruto up the winding stairs - which seemed to go on for a century. She knew exactly where she was going, she'd mapped out the way purposely a long long time ago after she'd gotten lost so many times and accidentally stumbled into someone else's bedroom.

She pushed the door open and the waft of dust hit her in the face. She wrinkled her nose and quickly pushed the rusty window as far open as it would go. It didn't look as if anyone entered the room after she left the organization or if they did, they were stealthy about it.

The sheets on the small single bed were still freshly made and her nightclothes still sat on the rickety chair opposite of the bed, covered in thick dust. She pulled open the wardrobe to find that there were still a few of the possessions she'd taken with her when she first left the village - nothing too sentimental, just her old red dress, some beaten up sandals and a beige backpack which lay empty.

Naruto had cautiously sat on the edge of the bed and almost went flying off, as the mattress sagged down sadly.

Sakura noticed the door to the left of the room and pushed it open slowly. Her old bathroom stank of mould and melldew. There was a small puddle where the sink and toilet had been leaking for months on end and congealed into a pile of dirt. The bar of soap she had left on the side of the bath was now green and.. Growing new stuff.

"Disgusting." She muttered.

Naruto slowly lay back on the bed and watched the rest of it sag down. "I know," he agreed. "But at least it makes a change from being out in the cold - speaking of which, can you close the window - it's starting to snow!"

Sakura shook her head. "I had to open it - the smell's awful in here," she gave the room a fleeiting look. "It doesn't look as if anyone's been here in a while, huh?"

"Who would want to?" Naruto muttered. "It's not as if they could just wander into a mass criminal organization's hideout and expect to _live_."

Sakura smiled weakly and sat beside Naruto on the bed. The matress sagged so low that she grabbed onto Naruto in shock. He gave her a gorgeous smile and kissed her forehead.

"Relax, I wouldn't have let you drop." He whispered. She raised an eyebrow and poked his nose, forcing him to lie down. He grabbed onto her arms and pulled her down with him until they lay side by side. "I'd never let you get hurt." He nuzzled affectionately into her neck.

She closed her eyes and kissed him slowly on the lips, they moved together - fitting together perfectly even after all the years they'd been together. She felt him snake his arm around her waist and pull her closer, she slid her hands in his messy blonde hair and stroke the whiskers on his cheeks gently.

He shivered and grasped her wrist gently. "Sakura.. You know what that does to me."

"What?" She asked. She tapped his whiskers once again and he shivered. "Ohh I remember." She grinned mischieviously.

"Unless you want to have made raging sex on this crappy bed, I suggest you stop," He smiled weakly. "And at the moment, we gotta concentrate on our mission, honey." He kissed her again and she pouted.

"Naruto?" She whispered.

"Hmm?"

She bit her lip and looked downwards. Her cheeks flushed pink and she struggled to look him in the eye - until he gently put a finger under her chin and gently forced it upwards. She swallowed the ball of nervousness in her stomach and gripped onto him tighter.

"Will you.. Still _want _me?" Seeing his confused face, she elaborated more. "I mean... Okay right now - I'm only showing a little bit," she pointed to her stomach. "But I need to know something, will you still see me the same when I'm.. Bigger?"

He furrowed his eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'll get fatter, Naruto.. You know - with the baby and everything? Are you gonna be okay with me being.. Big."

She watched - amused, at his facial expression as the meaning clicked in his mind. He chuckled softly and flashed her a beautiful smile. His eyes were a soft blue as he leaned down and kissed her tummy. He pulled her closer and stroked her face.

"I'll _always _be with you, Sakura Haruno Uzumaki. Nothing will _ever _get in the way with that. I promise and swear on my existence, that I'll always be yours." He whispered into her ear. She shivered excitedly and grinned.

"It was in this room isn't it? That we first kissed."

He nodded. "Best moment of my life. I got to _score _with Sakura!" She swatted him on the shoulder and he giggled.

**

* * *

**

_"This really isn't getting us anywhere," Naruto sighed, a little confidence burning up inside of him._

_"I'll begin then," Sakura nodded, urging him to continue as she settled herself on the bed. He took a seat beside her. _

_"I… Really think we should talk about yesterday… Er. I would appreciate it if you just let me finish before you start because I feel this needs to be said."_

_"Ok." She agreed, heart beginning to thump like crazy. Those damn butterflies in her taunt stomach began to flutter backwards and forwards like crazy. He clutched his hands together, struggling somehow to find the right words,_

_"This… Isn't right." He stated finally. As soon as the words left his mouth, a jackhammer started to dig in his stomach, his organs winding around it like a bendy straw._

_"W-What?"_

_"Us! It's… I dunno," he stood up and began to pace, hands flailing wildly. "It's like… Two birds that haven't flown away even though they want to, but they can't seeing as they could run into trouble – like a cat or something!"_

_Sakura raised her carefully plucked eyebrows. "Naruto… What the hell are you going on about?"_

_"I dunno!"_

_"-..Are you having a panic attack?"_

_"-..YE – No!" He took a deep breath and kneeled in front of her, taking both her hands and looking deep into her green orbs so intently that she thought he was lost into them._

_"Naruto, are you asking me to marry you?"_

_"NO! God no – don't get the wrong idea!"_

_"So you're saying that there's nothing marriable about me?" She questioned, feeling a little hurt from the tone of his voice. He stroked her hands, an apologetic look on his face._

_"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I'm not good at this kind of thing. If I had my wish then I'd have been married to you for years now already."_

_"Y-Years?" Sakura whispered. Somewhere deep in the back of her mind, she had always known that Naruto had held a special place for her in his heart. Thing is, that she never knew how deep that space was and how far he would go to possibly protect it. Now she knew._

_"Yes," he admitted. "Ever since we first joined the academy. I caught sight of you pink hair and found myself staring into the eyes of an angel. Through all those years, I only wished that the angel would glance back at me."_

_She felt her face heat up with totally unwanted blood. Of course back then she had indeed noticed him but he was just 'the orange and yellow blob' who was nothing but part of the background scenery. And that blob did nothing all day but run around like a madman and shriek things at the very top of his voice._

_"Im… Sorry. I had a rather inflated ego back then." She apologised._

_He smiled sadly. "It's alright, no worries."_

_Sakura however felt far from 'alright'. She had known the constant exile that he had suffered from the villagers, her own parents had even shunted him right up until the very moment they died. Sakura had turned a blind eye to it, pretending not to notice the sad little orphaned boy sitting on his own on the swing. Her eyes began to water, dangerously ready to tip over the side of her eyelashes. She didn't like Naruto to see her cry, yet he was the only one that fully understood her silent pain and sympathised._

_Without another thought, she leaned forward and flung her arms around him, quietly sobbing into the crook of his neck. He gently held her shaking shoulders._

_"I… I'm in… In love with… You." She breathed, inhaling his sweet scent. She could tell that he was totally in shock as his body went rigid and his hands had stopped caressing her hair. She bit down hard on her lip to keep herself from saying anymore; he had to at least digest this big piece of news first. "And I really don't know want to do anymore! This feeling – it's so different from what I had with Sasuke.. I want to be with you!"_

**

* * *

**

The days melted away into eachother and soon enough, it was Christmas day and everyone was gathered in the kitchen and eagerly awaiting the glorious smell of whatever was cooking and filling up the room with its sweet scent.

Sakura bustled around from one side of the room to the other - preparing the unperishable food that she had found down in the cellar - combined with whatever they had in their backpacks - plus Ashi and Cairo had been nice enough to dart out for a day and return with some food they'd purchased at a nearby town.

Sakura pushed yet another tray of goodies into the already packed oven and turned to look at everyone seat neatly at the table. They'd all scrubbed up and looked as neat as they could and put in what extra effort they could. Again Deidara, Ashi and Cairo had been setting up decorations the night before, Kisame and Tobi hunted around for the nicest plates and cutlery they could find and Naruto had summoned a few clones to help him clean up the kitchen from the sorry state it was in the day before. Sakura was assigned to cooking and kitchen duty. Typical, she thought.

At the table, Naruto and Deidara were in the middle of a card game whilst Kisame had already started on the booze and was trying to ignore Tobi's 'war stories'. Cairo was talking to Shu and handing him generous amounts of crackers and cheese. Ashi was cleaning a knife that someone had gotten him for his birthday and inspecting it closely. Sakura looked upon her friends and couldn't help but think of them as her family. Of course, she hadn't had a properly family before Naruto since her parents died and even then - she couldn't remember their faces anymore of how they sounded. With her new family - each experience was etched into her mind. The trials they faced were tough enough to bring them together.

"Hey - Sakura get over here!" Naruto called cheerfully. Sakura grinned and joined them and sat on Naruto's lap around the busy table.

"Guys, what's our next goal anyway?" Kisame said conversationally.

"None of that business stuff, yeah?" Deidara grinned. "It's Christmas, man."

"Agreed," said Cairo. "Our mission can afford to be put on hold for just one day, while we celebrate with each other. I think we have earned it."

_Do you mind Haekeri? If we stop hunting and making plans for just this one day, I mean?_

The dragon merely smiled in her mind's eye. **It is not a human experience I would want to pass on. You have endured a lot so far so yes, I would say it is fine. **

She grinned to herself and winked when Naruto stared at her questioningly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered.

"I'm happy."

"Me too." He said quietly, his eyes were shining brightly and so intently that Sakura had to struggle to force herself to get off him and continue cooking.

Sakura watched the clock carefully and pulled the food out of the oven when it was ready and she served it up in glistening white porcelain trays and began to lay the table. Even she herself had to admit the table looked _gorgeous_. In the centre of the table, was a huge christmas cake with frosting and whipped cream oozing from the top. Surrounding the cake were two chocolate yule logs with Holly atop of them and sausages wrapped with bacon and served with rice. There was also Teriyaki roast chicken at the head of the table with sugar topped roast potatoes. There were dishes filled with slices of roast ham and sushi in a vinegar type sauce. At the bottom of the table, lay egg and chicken fried rice with odango and rice balls.

She laughed at the image of everyone eyeing the food hungrily - their eyes darting around the many dishes of goodies and deciding what things they would _devour _first.

Sakura leaned over the table and lit a small red candle in the middle. Everyone watched silently as it flickered into life and burned brightly.

"What's the candle for?" Tobi asked.

"For Sasuke," Sakura announced and she and Naruto looked at eachother. "Since he couldn't be here this Christmas, we can have him here in spirit." She nervously looked at Ashi, who nodded in approval. It may have just her imagination, but his eyes looked slightly more shiny than they were a second ago.

"For Sasuke." Cairo agreed and everyone else nodded.

"This food though," Deidara began. "It looks really great, Sakura!"

"I gotta admit the same, pinky, you've outdone yourself." Kisame smirked. Sakura grinned and indicated that everyone should start to help themselves. No one argued with the idea and they gratefully started to dig in.

Sakura took her place inbetween Naruto and Ashi and also began to eat. She listened to her friends talk about random topics and laugh about things they'd seen and done before, but she didn't venture any sort of comment to it. Halfway through the meal, she felt an elbow softly dig into her ribs and she looked at Naruto, who was deep in coversation with Deidara. She felt another dig and turned the opposite direction to face Ashi, who was looking at her.

"You alright?" He muttered and shoved a roast potato in his mouth.

She nodded and played with her rice. "I'm fine - really. Just thinking about things."

"Things?"

"Just wondering where Sasuke actually _is_. And if he'll already be there when we get back or not."

Ashi fell quiet for a few seconds. "He won't be back, Sakura," he said. She looked at him in shock and he winked. "Because we'll _beat _him at getting back first!" He gave a Naruto-type grin and Sakura found herself laughing. At what? she didn't know. It was a mix between seeing Naruto's personality on a member of the Uchiha clan and the idea of racing Sasuke back to Konoha.

After her little conversation with Ashi - Sakura's heart felt a little lighter and she happily gulped down some sake that someone had found in the cellar. After the meal and Kisame groaning about how he'd never be able to move again - everyone moved into the main room that held a lot of comfy armchairs and a roaring fire at the edge of the room. The sake was still being passed around and Kisame and Tobi had already passed out on a couple of the chairs.

"I think I may have to get to bed now," Cairo said. His cheeks were more rosy than usual. He gently patted a snoozing Shu on his shoulder.

"Okay, which room are you going to take?" Sakura asked.

"Itachi Uchiha's old room I think," the old man said wickedly. "I think it would be rather exciting to sleep in there."

She smiled weakly and bid goodnight to the old man. Beside her, Naruto was trying to stand up and swaying rather a lot. Sakura giggled a caught a hold of him tightly before he fell and hurt himself. He retorted by hugging her tightly and proclaiming loudly about how he had the best wife ever.

"Right, bed for you too, mister." Sakura said and patted his chest.

"Only if you're in my bed too." He murmured. She smiled and announced to everyone else that they were going to go to bed too. After a chorus of _Goodnigh' Sukrah, _she began to drag Naruto to bed.

"Sakura smells like fruit." He slurred,

"Naruto smells like alcohol." She smirked and tried pulling him up the stairs and along the corridor to their room - a difficult task however, seeing as he was finding it hard to stand on his own feet. At last, Sakura kicked open the rotten door and dropped the boy on the bed, where he comically sank into the matress with his legs flailing about. Sakura turned out the lights, closed the door and slipped into the newly washed sheets beside him.

He breathed slowly and hugged her tightly, suddenly he didn't seme quite so drunk anymore.

"Merry Christmas, Sakura. I love you." He nibbled her earlobe and inhaled her apple scent. Sakura smiled to herself and reached up to touch his cheeks.

"Merry Christmas."


	26. Ashi's Final Stand

**Hey guys - yet another update in a short period of time :D - Yay! I really hope everyone is still with the story so far - there are about 12 more chapters to go, if I stick with my plan - so if you guys could continue lending me your support until then - I would be very grateful (:**

**Review please? :D**

"... Blah ... " - Speech

_" ... Blah ... "_ - Thoughts, flashbacks and Bhadra.

**" ... Blah ..." - **Haekeri

* * *

**Betrayal 3: Destiny's Darkness**

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Ashi's Final Stand**

Sakura's eyes fluttered open. The room seemed a lot colder than usual, and the heating didn't seem to be doing a lot of good. Sakura tossed aside the covers from her body and padded over to the risty radiator. There was only a thin stream of bright light coming through a gap in the middle of the heavy curtains, so Sakura had to get up and pull them apart so she could work out where the heating knobs were at the bottom of the heater. Light pooled into the room and illuminated the yawning blonde waking from his slumber.

"Oh dear GOD." Naruto moaned and flung himself further back under the sheets. "What are you _trying _to do to me, woman?"

"Oh, g'morning." She replied sweetly and turned back to the window where her eyes were met by nothing but a blank, white canvas. The training grounds looked as if someone had decided to paste pure icing all over it overnight - even the training straw dummy that stood next to the small barn, had been transformed into a snowman. She pressed the palms of her hands and her face against the window like a small child and gazed in awe and the beauty of it all. A pair of tanned arms wrapped around her small form and Naruto's head flopped onto her shoulder.

"Snow, huh?" He mused. Sakura nodded and began to daydream about snowball fights, building snowman and scaring the drinking hot chocolate inside afterwards. She smiled to herself - recalling the snow days with her friends back in Konoha and turned to face Naruto.

"Do you realise that you're naked?" Her eyebrows rose.

He shrugged. "It cold hot in the middle of the night. Plus it's nothin' you haven't seen before."

"But - aren't you cold? It's freezing in here!"

"Not really," he grinned and climbed into his clothes that were dangling at the end of the bed. "Although I will be soon enough, because you're gonna drag me outside, right?" It was a question that didn't even need to be answered, because Sakura was already dressed and smiling sweetly by the door.

Naruto rubbed his fluffy head and sighed. "Not all day though," he warned. "You'll make the baby cold."

Sakura didn't both to reply, but took him by the hand and led him downstairs and towards the training grounds. No one else seemed to be either up or awake, so the snow outside was still untouched and pure.

The cold air bit harshly into Sakura's naked shoulders as they stepped outside - but she hardly noticed and took each footstep carefully - listening to the crunch her boots made, as if they were crashing into glass. She almost felt guilrty about spoiling the beautiful white blanket - Naruto stumbled clumsily through it and left a trail of destruction. He paused and looked back and blushed slightly.

"Whoops."

She turned and crouched down for a few seconds. She spun around and launched a snowball directly at Naruto's face - he caught it effortlessly and rebound it straight at her butt - a successful hit. She gasped at the coldness and decided to start hurling mounds of snow at the blonde with her inhumane strength - laughing as the first disappeared from his face and he ducked behind a tree for cover.

"Come out, come out." She sang and prepared a snowball in each hand, pacing slowly around to the back of the tree. She smirked as Naruto had disappeared and swerved around to avoid his stealth attack from the bushes.

"You think that would really work against me?" She challenged and began to focus on the location of his chakra signature. Naruto seemed to be trying another stealthy attack and coming up from behind again, she jumped and watched him slide under her legs on his back, seize a fistful of snow and snake it down her shirt.

The cold sank into her skin and she screeched. "You BASTARD. It's cold!"

"No shit," he laughed. "Snow isn't meant to be warm now, is it?"

Sakura shivered and attempted to grin, until a huge gust of snowy wind blew hard through her frame and forced her downwards, she shrieked and disappeared into the snow-trodded floor. Naruto tredged over and crouched down as best he could.

"Are you okay, Sakura?"

"F-Fine," she shivered. "I don't think winter likes me though."

Naruto extended a hand and effortlessly yanked her up beside him. He pointed at the space where she fell. "At least you made a snow angel though."

She followed his arm and stared at the.. _retarded _shape she'd made with her flailing arms and legs. She wondered whether Naruto was trying to insult her or not. Seeing her confused look, he chuckled and passed her his black jacket. She took it gratefully and covered her bare arms with it.

"Thanks."

Naruto opened his mouth to reply and then snapped it shut straight away. His eyes darted left and right and quickly back to Sakura again. She cocked her head and caught sight of his closed fists and the way the red sparked in his eyes - fangs were even beginning to poke out from under his lips. Sakura furrowed her eyebrows and concentrated on the surroundings - all seemed quiet enough, Sakura noted. In a flash, she understood what Naruto had become rigid about. Everything was just a little _too _quiet. No rustling leaves, no wind, no movement except for the beating in her chest. She licked her dry lips nervously.

In a flash, she sensed a bunch of chakra signals spark into life in a circle around their position. Naruto growled darkly and jumped on Sakura and they sailed back into the snow. She ignored the cold seeping through her jacket and narrowed her eyes at Naruto.

"How many?" She hissed.

"Six or seven - maybe eight." He growled. "They're moving fast and merging with each other so fast that it's hard to keep track.

Sakura's eyes widened fearfully. These chakra signatures didn't belong to such amatures as they had encountered before.

"That means," she said slowly. "They must be pro."

"Probably ANBU level-.." Naruto began. He lifted his head into the air and gave a cry of frustration - his pupils turned crimson and he grabbed Sakura and pushed her behind him. Sakura felt a huge increase in the chakra surrounding them - they were coming in, fast.

"GET IN," Naruto yelled and bounded off in the direction of the forest. "I'LL BUY YOU SOME TIME."

Sakura didn't need to question his orders twice, and began to run as best as she could through the snow towards the kitchen door. She skidded on an icy patch and fell and grazed her knee on some sharp rocks concealed within the snow. Having no time but curse, Sakura bared the pain and the blood dripping down her leg and yanked open the kitchen door and ducked inside, locking the latch behind her.

Kisame. Deidara, Tobi and Ashi were already in the kitchen - having what looked like a late breakfast. At her arrival, they stopped eating and stared at her.

"Uhh, are you okay Sakura?" Deidara pointed towards the dirty gash in her knee. She took a few deep breaths and quickly closed the windows and curtains and turned back towards them again.

"We're being attacked," she said dangerously. "There are around six to eight of them - maybe more."

At her words, the men stopped dead in their tracks and dark expressions appeared on their faces. There was a sharp twang, and Kisame unhinged his sword and brandished it on his shoulder. Deidara had already began feeding clay into the mouths on his palms and Ashi stood up violently in his chair.

"Naruto's out there - trying to hold them off." She explained - suddenly feeling a huge amount of dread passing over her - she should have stayed out there with him and fought them off! Sakura made for the door again and Tobi stepped in her way.

"Nuh uh, Sakura," he said. "You wait in here where it's safe, while we go out there and kick their asses!"

"..But-..!"

"He's right," Deidara passed her - half a slice of toast in his mouth. "If it's a full frontal attack - then they obviously mean business, whoever they are.. Naruto can more than handle himself and we well be there to help him and protect you - so don't worry."

She fought with her mind to try and fight back, but no words came. Ashi thrust the door open and stared at her.

"We'll get through it, don't look so worried." He grinned and followed the rest of the men through the snow and wind to where the chakra signatures were darting around. Sakura swore to herself and slammed the door shut and locked it again. She skidded around the kitchen table and darted down the long and twisting corridors. Coming to the entrance hall with the winding stairs, she just managed to stop herself from running into Cairo. He gripped her arms and stared her in the eyes.

"What happened?" He asked quietly.

"Attack," she breathed. "Everyone is out there - fighting." At her words, Shu popped curiously out of Cairo's pocket and stared at him pointedly.

_Do we know who? _The ferret spoke in Bhadra. Cairo slowly shook his head and stroked his long white beard - he looked the most troubled he'd ever been. At the back of her mind, Haekeri was pacing backwards and forwards - battle plans spinning around his mind.

"This is not good," Cairo said finally. "If they had been watching us - they certainly know how to keep it secret," he tapped his chin thoughtfully. "They probably have the whole building surrounded - so it would be pointless to try and sneak you out through the entrance."

"Yes," she nodded. "6 or 8 of them - circled around us all. What makes me nervous is that they didn't even bother to conceal their chakra! It's like.. They wanted us to know they were here."

Cairo's brow furrowed even further. His hand dipped into his cloak and he pulled out a strange looking weapon that had a slight glow to it, he brandished it around a little and the aura sparked a little brighter.

"Old thing still works," he muttered. "Sakura - I need you to promise me something though.." His face looked older than ever with worry attatched to them. Sakura nodded and her eyes shone with loyalty.

"I need you to stay _inside_," Cairo warned. "Under no circumstances must you take even one step outside. I am going to put a jutsu around the building for your safety so that they cannot enter without alerting me and try to fight you without one of us bursting in," he dug into his pocket and brought of Shu and handed him to Sakura. "Shu will protect you if things should grow dire. He will not be able to do much, but it should be enough to protect you while you get away," Cairo nodded briefly and began to march down the corridor with his weapon. He stopped quickly and said; "You'd better find a good hiding place." Then disappeared into the darkness.

**I know what you're thinking. **Haekeri challenged. **Do not go outside - your comrades will be okay.**

_I would prefer that they didn't die protecting me._

**Yet, it is their choice whether they want to protect you or not. If you were to venture outside and get us killed - your kitsune would never get over your death. He may even take his own life.**

_Naruto wouldn't do that.. He's not stupid enough to waste away his life._

**He looks at you, as if you are his world.**

Sakura sighed - she knew very well that Naruto would do anything to be with her, even if it meant defying death itself. She clambered back down the corridor she'd come from and turned off to the right, pulling open the cellar door open as far as it would go, and ducking inside. She was met by nothing but pitch black and had to resort to feeling her hands over the walls and blindly stumbling around. Her hands grapsed a long wire that dangled from above, she seized it and pulled and the room filled with light.

The cellar wasn't much to look at. Just a load of empty shelves and copper containers that sat on them. A few had labels that said things such as 'Vegetables', 'Herbs', 'Meat' - the rest of the jars had been scratched out or had faded over time. Sakura picked her way carefully around the pools of drips that came from the cement ceiling. She found a couple of old bags in the corner and made herself comfy on them. She gently plucked Shu out from her pocket and gently stroked his quivering fur.

"Scared?" She asked.

_Naw, _he replied. _It's colder than hell in here!_

She had to admit that he had a point there - the cellar was abnormally freezing and she good fell the goosebumps from under her clothes. She supposed that a cellar _had _to be cold though, since they were built to preserve food years ago.

She shivered and wrapped her arms around her legs, resting her head on her knees. She couldn't stop thinking about how angry Naruto had looked and how he'd desperately told her to get to safety. She recalled the way his pupils dialated and flashed crimson - just like it had when they were kids and he would use the Kyuubi's power to defeat their enemies on missions. Although of course, each time could have resulted in the fox escaping fully and killing Naruto in the process.

"How do you think they're doing?" She asked aloud to no one in particular. Shu nibbled her hand affectionately for comfort and continued to sniff the air.

She sighed - feeling suddenly very lonely and sank further back into her makeshift seat. She thought about how she'd planned the day out - getting everybody outside for a huge snowball fight and then cooking another meal in the evening - how wrong everything had become, especially since they had such an amazing time the day before. She let her eyes drift closed for a few seconds and opened them when something nibbled her shoulder. She groaned and sat up, somehow she had been lying down.

_You fell asleep, _Shu explained. _Not for long though._

Sakura sat disorientataed for a moment - why was she down in this darkened room again? Remebering the morning's events - her eyes shot open and she leapt from the bags. Shu looked at her in confusion.

"I need to know what's going on. I can't just.." She paused. "I can't just sit down here and wait any more! I'm a ninja for fuck's sake." She shot through the room and pounded up the stairs with the ferret protesting, close behind. He attempted to bite her leg to stop, but she quickly moved out of the way and began running full-pelt towards and kitchen. In her mind, Haekeri had mentally sighed and was watching her thoughts closely.

There was no one in the kitchen when she entered and walked over to the shut curtians, cautiously peeking through the gaps.

Outside, all seemed to be quiet. The only tracks were of herself, Naruto, Deidara, Kisame, Tobi and Ashi. There was no one about in the distance and no sounds of fighting whatsoever. Sakura replaced the curtain and nibbled at her lips. She couldn't track chakra signatures unless she was outside - but that would mean pissing off Cairo, Haekeri and the others.

"Gah - I feel so trapped." She slid slowly down the sink and flopped onto the floor, head in hands. Her friends may be dying and there was nothing that she could possibly do. Nothing that she could say to herself that would make her feel at ease.

Sakura got up from the floor and opened one of the cupboards where someone had stored the left over sake. She seized the bottle and poured herself a healthy amount of it and took the bottle back to the table with her.

The liquid tasted bitter than ever and only made her feel like she wanted to _vomit. _There was a small scurry of paws and Shu slowly paced into the room. He stood on his hind legs and glared at her. She took another swig of the drink.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "But I feel too guilty to hide." Tears gathered at the tips of her eyelashes and threatened to fall down her hollowed cheeks. Shu nodded in understanding and climbed up her leg, sitting on her lap, he nuzzled his head into her hand.

The door suddenly banged open and Sakura shrieked as a flurry of snowflakes filled the room. She felt desperately in her pouch for a weapon and pulled out a kunai. The assailant paused and held up his hands as a sign of peace.

Naruto.

Sakura dropped the kunai - it clanged as it collided with the floor - she leaped off the chair and threw her arms around Naruto. He stayed frigid and when Sakura let go of her grasp, his gaze was on the floor.

She placed a hand on his chest - which was freezing cold without his jacket. He made a small noise and turned away.

"What is it?" She said quietly.

Naruto slowly lifted his head and his cerulean eyes met her worried emerald ones. He looked ghostly pale and his head was sodden from the snow. There was a small cut on his left cheek that had stopped bleeding, but still look painful. He took both of her shaking hands in his own cold ones. She noticed that he was shaking a little too.

"Those shinobi who attacked us," he said slowly. His voice was hoarse. "Were hired assassins. They knew about you, Sakura.. And they knew everything about _us _and about our journey."

Sakura's body felt as if it was dipped into pure ice. Her spine began to tingle unplesantly. "And?" She barely whispered.

Naruto's jaw clenched and his gaze returned to the ground. "We fought those bastards as hard as we could. But.. They somehow were able to overpower us.." He paused once again as his throat choked up. "Ashi stood up.. And he walked towards the leader and did some handsigns.." Naruto stopped and looked as if he didn't want to continue anymore. Sakura grabbed onto his shoulders roughly and shook him.

"What? What_ happened _to Ashi?" She felt the tears fall from her face and drop to the floor. Naruto gently took her hands away from his shoulders and moved closer into her body. She felt his body shake more violently, as if he were crying. His head touched hers.

"He won't wake up."


	27. In a Rut

**Good evening everyone! It's currently 11:43pm on a Saturday night and I'm sat here with my boyfriend and his friend - writing away whilst they play xbox and stuffs :3 I'm also listening to the Heavy Rain soundtrack and it got me wondering - should I start up a poll on here? (Don't ask me how I got to that conclusion!) This also, isn't an overly long chapter as well, I felt that it should be short and sweet really.**

**And so for today's poll: "Have you played Heavy Rain and what are your thoughts on it?"**

**Leave your comments and reviews here and I will read through them :D**

"... Blah ... " - Speech

_" ... Blah ... "_ - Thoughts, flashbacks and Bhadra.

**" ... Blah ..." - **Haekeri

* * *

**Betrayal 3: Destiny's Darkness**

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: In a Rut**

The masked man paced around the living room and gave each one of them a hefty look. When it came to Sakura's turn, the ANBU stared at her more intently. She let out a breath that she hadn't realised that she was holding, when he moved away.

She half wished that Cairo hadn't contacted Konoha's special forces - but she couldn't deny that it was an emergeny. Ashi was deep in a coma and there were specialists looking him over as thoughroughly as they could. However they had to get out and move soon, just in case therewas another amubush and Konoha was somehow dragged into this mess. Sakura raked her fingers through the messy pink locks and stared out at the snow. It had been snowing on and off all day since the ANBU had arrived as quickly as they could. Since the battle was only the day before and Cairo had contacted them directly after - she couldn't deny how quick and efficient they were.

She peeled her eyes away from the window and regarded the silent boy next to her. Naruto was unnaturally pale and his cerulean eyes lacked their normal cheery glow. In fact, all of her friends sat around her looked just the same, no doubt that she did too.

The ANBU with his dog mask, passed by again and gave her another searching look. She really _wished _he would stop doing that - it made her feel like he was biding his time until he accused one of them for being the culprit.

_Guess that means I suck at being Ashi's guardian.. How on earth and I gonna handle my own child, if I can't even look after the nephew of one of my best friend's?_

The thought made her quite down and she placed her head in her lap as far as her neck would allow.

There were a flurry of heavy footsteps approaching from the corridor outside and a few seconds later, the door swung open to reveal two more ANBU members and the captain. The captain himself, had taken off his mask in order to reveal his greying hair and a slight scar on his left cheek. His green eyes scanned the room briefly and they fell upon Sakura and Naruto.

"Mr. And Mrs. Uzumaki," he greeted and stepped towards them. "Since I understand that you both are responsible for Mr. Uchiha, I'm going to have to present our findings to you both," he cast another look around the room. "In private.

"Of course." Sakura agreed and pulled Naruto up with her. They clasped hands and followed the ANBU captain down the hallway and into Itachi's old office where he held the door open for them and motioned for them to sit down, they obliged settled themselves in two armchairs in front of the rotting mahogany desk. The captain sat gingerly on the corner of it and began to play with an old pencil that he'd found on the desk. He twirled it about in his hands and stared at the couple.

"Lady Tsunade had already breifed on us about Ashi Uchiha's unique bloodline technique before we were disptached here," he explained. "Since she does not have much information on the limitations and such of this bloodline - she cannot the extent of the coma he is in, until she sees him personally," he licked his lips and continued to play with the pencil. "We have a good medic with us but not the tools or the extensive knowledge to treat him properly. Which is why I have to propose that we return back to the village and take the boy with us."

Sakura was afraid of that. She began shaking a little and wondered how on earth she was going to explain this to Sasuke if he ever found out? He _trusted _them with his own flesh and blood - the only family member he had besides Itachi - and now he was incapacitated. Out of the game. The journey had come to an end for him.

Naruto, seeing her silent distress, wrapped an arm around her. "Can't you tell us anything about what happened?"

"Not much more than what you've already provided us with," the captain explained. "You said he stopped suddenly and began to slowly walk to them in a dreamlike state, and then the enemies all seemed to completely disappear, correct?"

"Yeah."

"It's possible that he used his bloodline technique in such a powerful way, that he completely used up everything he had, in order to keep everyone safe," the captain sighed. "I know it must be very hard for you.."

"But I've never known of a bloodline technique to go wrong?" Sakura spoke up and looked between both men. "If you're born with the bloodline - the knowledge is buried so deep with your blood, that it becomes second nature to understand. I just don't get it - how Ashi - perhaps knowing about the risks, would have stretched himself to that point?"

"Not many people like to share knowledge of their bloodline - in fear that the enemy will find them and use them to their will."

Sakura nodded, it made sense she supposed.

"Will Tsunade watch him then?" Naruto asked.

"Yes," the captain replied. "She has assured me she will nurse him back to full health and try to raise him from comatose. She is reather _confident _about it."

Sakura smiled and recalled her master's positive attitude towards her work. She suddenly missed her a lot.

"Another thing," the man said. "Lady Tsunade also suggested that another one of you accompanies Mr. Uchiha back to the village with us. She would like to ask a lot of questions regarding Mr. Uchiha's mental state through your mission, how active he has been and the such."

Sakura turned to Naruto and she could see he was thinking the exact same thing - two down out of their group.

"M-May we get back to you with an answer after we speak to our friends?" Sakura ran her fingers through her hair again and began to stand from the chair. He nodded and politely held the door open for them again as they exited and reminded them that his squad were going to leave as soon as the decision was made.

As soon as Sakura and Naruto entered the sitting room again, everyone stood up from their seats and awaited the news. Judging from the glum look on both of their faces, no ones hopes were high. Sakura was only glad for one thing - the annoying ANBU guy had left the room and couldn't stare judgementally at her anymore.

"They're gonna take Ashi back to Konoha and our Hokage is gonna watch over him," Naruto sighed. "However, she wants one of us to go back with him so that she can have more background information on his condition I suppose." He scratched the back of his head and looked pointedly at the floor. "However, I'm going to stay with Sakura - and she obviously can't go back due to the mission.. So it'll have to be one of you."

"I'm staying too," Deidara said slowly. "I want to help protect Sakura as well, on this mission."

"Dei-Dei, if only you were m_y _hero!"

"Shut up Tobi. This is no time to be joking around."

The masked man scratched his head. "Aww, don't worry I know. But I got an idea if anyone wants to know?"

Kisame grinned. "Go on."

Tobi cleared his throat loudly. "Well," he began dramatically. "Apart from Naruto and Sakura - there's only one other person here, who's been on the mission just as long as them a_nd _knows Ashi more than we do," Tobi indicated to himself, Deidara and Kisame who ignored him. "It all depends on whether this person wants to go or not and leave Sakura - the fair maiden in our hands," he stared at Cairo. "Mr. Cairooo."

The old man fell silent for a few seconds and carefully rose to his feet and shuffled forward a little. There was a small crease between his brows that soon changed to a small smile. "Of course," he said humbly. "I will be more than glad to accompany Ashi back to his home and ensure that he is okay.. But only if Sakura feels that she is ready to continue on the journey without _me_ guiding her.."

His words left a lasting effect and the whole room turned towards the girl for an answer. She shrunk away from their gazes and began staring at the falling snowflakes outside the window again. Cairo was the one who sought her out in the first place to do the mission and taught her a lot of things - including on how not to be scared at the thought of fighting _tailed demons _and how to be strong when it came to saving the containers from being killed. She narrowed her eyes until the snow outside just became a white and grey blur. She wondered how on _earth _she was going to get by without the kindly old man at her side - sure enough, her friends would protect her with their lives but why should they? Why should they throw away their lives for a mission that she agreed to take? It just didn't seem fair to her. In her mind, Haekeri had stayed silent in order not to influence her decision. She felt an of something to his mood - which spiked at odd moments. It reminded her of the feeling that she saw in Cairo's eyes just a few seconds ago.

"Well?" Someone had said.

_I'm doing this for Haekeri and the rest of our world. _She reminded herself. _I can't cause the deaths of perhaps thousands of people for the sake of my own damn fucking confidence! Grow up!_

"Yes," she said as soon as she could stop herself. "It's a good idea and it's for Ashi. It's the least that we owe to him."

Cairo nodded and threw his cloak around his shoulders, doing up the silver clasp at the front, he nodded at each of the people in the room before stepping in front of Sakura and placing his hands on her shoulders. His blue orbs searched her own emerald ones for some kind of meaning or reason.

_You are the daughter of us all. _He spoke in Bhadra. _I know that you will not let me downand I promise with an old man's heart, I will watch over Ashi. So do not worry about him - he will be fine. Concentrate on your mission - for all of our sakes._

Sakura nodded humbly and watched as the old man said goodbye to everyone and left the room, closing the door behind him and wandered off to find the ANBU. Kisame raised his eyebrows into his dark hair.

"And what kinda language was t_hat?_" He asked.

"Dragon language," Sakura said simply. "Look - we should get out of here soon before we get attacked by something e_lse._ The journey may get a little harder from here as we're two people down now." She spoke with more confidence than she felt, but she ignored the little niggling feeling at the back of her mind and placed her hands on her hips, staring at the rest of her friends.

"That's true," Naruto nodded. "We can't slack about anymore," he looked out of the window. "Although travelling in this weather will be harder than it looks."

"It's just something we're gonna have to deal with," the girl sighed. "I have some sort of idea where we can go though -Tobi!" At the mention of his name, his visibly jumped.

"Yep?"

"Back when you were in the Akatsuki and I was a genin," she began. "I heard a rumor a long time ago that the Akatsuki were going to attempt to go after the tailed demons - and you caught Gaara's," she furrowed her eyebrows. "And probably more if we're lucky - I n_eed _you to tell me where the demons are now and how we can get to them. The sooner we do - the sooner this mission is over and we can get on with our lives." Her voice became sharp.

The masked man paused. "I don't know," he said quietly. "Well okay - I _do _know where they are - but I'm unsure of how many will be there and if they'll even still be there! Bandits may have broken in or something by now."

Sakura's heart skipped a beat. "But you know where you saw them last, right?"

He nodded.

She grinned and clenched her fists. "It'll be a great help if you could direct us there, Tobi."

"I'll do my best."

Sakura felt a lot more happier now and suddenly, her journey didn't seem quite as difficult without Cairo and Ashi helping. Her heart skipped a beat again at the thought of finishing sooner than they had thought! Very soon, she could be sat back in her beautiful house, with her beautiful husband and their beautiful baby...

"If I may," Kisame's voice brought her back to reality. "I may also know of a demon that's stil out there."

Naruto's eyebrows rose. "How come you never reported it to the Akatsuki?"

Kisame shrugged and lazy played with the handle of his sword. "I only came across this one, weeks before we met again - Akatsuki was a wreck and Konan and Pein had already been killed, plus going after the demons myself is not really of interest," his eyes flickered to Sakura. "I've been wandering around ever since trying to accomplish some personal goals."

"And where is the demon?" Deidara questioned.

"Last time I checked - the village Hidden in the Waterfalls."

Tobi made an inaudible sound. "That's on the way to way the caught demons are kept. It would be easy to make a side trip to the Waterfall village and finish up business there. Easy peasy." There was the hint of a smile in his voice. He clapped his hands excitedly.

"That's better than I thought." Sakura sighed with relief.

The atmosphere in the whole seemed somewhat lighter - as if everyone had suddenly regained their flare once again and were itching to get out there and continue on with the mission. Naruto had the glint back in his eyes, Deidara's smile and Kisame's smirk were back on their faces, Tobi was happily bouncing about and rambled on about random topics - even Shu made a satisfied noise and peered out from Sakura's pouch.

"In that case, let's go." Tobi giggled and led the way out of the back door. Sakura quickly checked both hers and Naruto's supplies - they and everyone else had packed as soon as Cairo had contacted the ANBU. She slung her backpack around her shoulders and zipped up Naruto's spare jacket for extra warmth. Hell, they were going to need it in the snowy weather.

And as they began to travel at a steady pace through the silent blizzard that began to fall on them as they entered the forest, Sakura could not help but smile and take a second to say goodbye to the building that she knew she would never get to see again and the memories there that would one fade away in her mind.


	28. The Last Time

**Right! so hopefully I finally have my writing program sorted out - I ended up deleting Microsoft Word firstly because the trial ran out and secondly, it didn't give me a clear enough view to how long my chapters would be. So for example; I thought I was writing LOADS but on the fanfiction page templates well - everything was too spaced out and sucky.**

**Leave your comments and reviews here and I will read through them :D**

**Song recommendation for this chapter: **Yellow by Coldplay

"... Blah ... " - Speech

_" ... Blah ... "_ - Thoughts, flashbacks and Bhadra.

**" ... Blah ..." - **Haekeri

* * *

**Betrayal 3: Destiny's Darkness**

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Last Time**

How long ago was it that he felt his mother's embrace every morning before he went to school? How long had it been since he heard wise words from his father about doing well in his studies and training hard, so he could join the police force? How much time had passed since he used to beg his big brother to train with him everyday?

Sasuke Uchiha.

The name said it all really. It screamed - _Leave me alone, I'm still grieving._ And people adhered to that and never pressured him for details on what happened that awful night. How scrapped Sasuke's knees became when he fell to the ground and began sobbing for the lost family he would never touch or see again. For the brother he used to look up to and want to be just like when he grew up.

And well... After that Sasuke had learned to conceal all the pain and anguish inside of him, so the tears never threatened to stream down his face again in public and so he could channel all of his power in order to one day meet his bastard brother and kill him.

And it _worked f_or him.

The pain eventually turned into hate - love turned to revenge. Who was he to complain? He was given a massive gift to help take revenge on his brother without worrying about his feelings and conscience. It was perfect for him.

Even the little time he'd run off to Orochimaru when both Naruto and Sakura had _deserted _him for Akatsuki. The snake sannin had helped him to channel his power further in return for Sasuke to offer his services to him in defeating Konoha and be turned into a snake during the attack. Sasuke obliged.

_"Itachi... Will you help me with my shuriken practice?"  
_

_"Not today Sasuke, maybe another time."_

Sasuke wondered if Itachi even remembered those days. If he recalled the amount of times he declined to help Sasuke with his training and said he was busy. If he even remembered those few times when Sasuke later on in life, had tried to track him down himself and kill him - and fail.

But back then, who would even guess that Sasuke would be here right now? Facing his long estranged brother across the other side of the canyon. Despite the huge space between them though, Sasuke wouldn't doubt that Itachi couldn't feel the heat radiating from his pale body - even the air felt thick with it. Today, he was going to take revenge for his parents and the rest of his clan - for everyone Itachi had ever hurt and caused grief for. The bastard had to die in order for Sasuke to feel like he could go on living without such a _burden_ on his head.

Thunder rumbled from above both men and storm clouds gathered ominously over the silent canyon. Stones and formations of rock littered the spot and Sasuke could already strategize some sort of plan using the terrain around them. The landscape was utterly lifeless, except for the occasional mud crab and skeletons littered around - probably from long ago battles - making the place seem a lot more deathly and foreboding.

Cold winds howled through the thick air, the cries of departed souls seemingly echoing through the barren land. Soon, another would join them and Sasuke was determined that _he _would be the one to walk away happy.

From across the battlefield, Itachi stared blankly into the eyes of his once beloved brother. His Akatsuki cloak swayed with the wind, strands of his dark hair flying into his face and blowing about his forehead. Sasuke's eyes were narrowed and filled with nothing but pure hate and disgust.

Sasuke could almost feel the spirits of his ansestors and the ghosts of the faces he's seen long ago, gather around him silently and gaze sadly at his brother. When Sasuke gribbed his sword and shook the memories away - the spirits faded away again.

Almost as if reading Sasuke's mind, Itachi began to walk towards him, Sasuke also began to walk and very slowly, they grew closer and closer. Confidence rolled off the younger Uchiha as he visualised him holding his sword and plunging it into Itachi's cold stone heart. Finally, sweet revenge. This stone-hearted man, this monster that had robbed him of a family would finally die today, and his corpse will never leave the abandoned land._ A fitting end_, Sasuke thought.

He activated his Sharingan which glowed blood red in his eyes - he didn't dare to look away from his brother and give him a chance to best him. No, there would be no mistakes today.

A smirk pulled at his lips, he began to slide his sword out from it's sheathe and gently chanel chakra into the blade - sending it into a flaming frenzy and the tones of red and orange rolled into each other and spark with Sasuke's excitement. The flames's light flickered in Sasuke's crimson pupils, he felt like a god.

Gone forever, was the weak child who could only look on helplessly and cry stupidly into the corpses of his parents. He knew for a _fact _that he was equal in power to his half blinded brother.

A heavy silence hung in the air between the two. No one wanted to grace the air with their words. After all, why waste their breath on words when everything had already been said - everything had already been over and over in Sasuke's mind. He was not going to talk and try to reason things out. There was nothing more to be said, now he could only talk with his fists.

Itachi coughed as pain from his illness racked through his body - the coughs rang around the both of them throughout the canyon and gave the impression that Sasuke was surrounded by him. Surrounded by thousands of dying Itachi's.

The two were nearing the middle, nearing the start of the battle and Sasuke could see that Itachi's own sharingan had flared into life - though of course a lot more advanced and world weary. To Sasuke, it seemed as if Itachi wobbled on his feet a little and kept on going. He tossed his Akatsuki cloak onto the dusty floor - where it would sit for all of eternity - and he stopped just moments away from his little brother.

Sasuke too, stopped and silently regarded his brother with cold eyes. He licked his lips and clenched his sword a little tighter.

"You know what I'm here for." Sasuke said quietly. He had to admit that talking to Itachi was _weird_ as hell, especially after all this time! He felt almost dirty and a traitor for not running through the bastard with his sword as soon as he was close enough.

"I merely wanted to test my strength…" Itachi replied monotonelessly. Sasuke rolled his eyes as his response - could he not at least have the decency to give a better fucking asnwer?

_"If you want to kill me, hate me with all your might, and one day you may be able to defeat me…"_

"Bullshit," Sasuke growled. "What was the real reason? If you wanted to merely test your power - you could have done it somewhere else instead of murdering our entire fucking clan!" He could already feel that he was beginning to lose it.

_Not now, _he begged silently. _I need to keep calm and concentrate. _Within seconds, he composed himself once again and the blank cold look, returned to his gaze.

"If I told you," Itachi said darkly. "I doubt you would believe me.. So I suggest you hurry up and try to kill me already... That is.. If you c_an_, little brother." He finished his sentence with a smirk and took a battle stance.

"You don't even feel guilty do you?" Sasuke whispered. "You don't see the ghosts that I do.. You don't hear their screams in your worst of nightmares or see them fall around you, dead."

A small crease appeared between Itachi's brow but Sasuke thought he must of imagined it, because it had gone a split second later.

Itachi gazed evenly at his younger brother. "Amaterasu!"

A wave of black flames engulfed Sasuke's skinny body, licking at his skin viciously and snaking around and underneath his clothes, drawing blood. Sasuke let out a roar of pain and automatically brandished his swords and sliced the air in front of him, where Itachi had stood moments before. The older brother moved to the left and stared coldly at Sasuke, still in pain.

A jet of fire spewed out from Sasuke's weapon and scarred the ground, hitting Itachi just barely and managing to catch fire to the hem of his navy mesh shirt. The jet stream left a cloud of black smoke that Sasuke darted out of and unleashed another wave of fire on Itachi - he averted once again and lazily patted out the embers on his clothing as if it was nothing.

But Sasuke didn't stop there and unleashed a flurry of fireballs raining down on the patch of land where they had stood. Using the fireballs as cover, Sasuke twisted and turned around them and send his sword shooting down into the dry soil. It made a 'clanging' sound and a circle of flames emitted from it and immediately circled Itachi and rose to a tall height. Itachi didn't look paticulary troubled though and barely battered an eyelash when Sasuke landed like a cat and swung the sword around in his hands.

The thunderclouds overheard rumbled dangerously and blinding flash of white lightning flashed through the sky. It illuminated the battelfield a bright shade of white and gave Itachi the impression that he was nothing more than a ghost.

Fat raindrops soaked through Sasuke's clothes - which he barely noticed - he knew his power was too strong for simple raindrops to drown out.

As the lingering brightness faded, Sasuke stepped back in blind panic as a huge figure was looming behind his older brother. It was something he'd over read about in books long ago but never had seen himself - Susanoo.

It's gleaming eyes fell upon Sasuke's form and he could have sworn that it smirked a little and awaited orders from its master. It looked as if it seemed to be shielding Itachi - who had already obtained a few nicks here and there.

Violent pain assaulted him, and he cried out in agony, clutching at his head. It felt like someone was stabbing him repeatedly. His illness was worsening. His legs gave out beneath him, and he crumpled to the ground.

Sasuke stared at his brother in horror.

_It looks as if I'll have to use.. It. _The boy thought with a huge amount of rage in his heart. Back when he was with Orochimaru, the snake sannin had taught him several of his tricks just incase Sasuke should face such an obstacle under his service. Sasuke had intended to use it during his fight with Sakura during their assult on the village - but it would have killed her and he just couldn't care to do that to a friend. He was NOT like his bastard brother!

He sighed and made a few secret hand signs and muttered a few words under his breath.

With a defeaning roar and a violent rumble of the ground. The dust clouds rose up to slowly form a giant eight-headed snake in the middle of the battlefield to face off Susanoo.

Now it was Itachi's turn to growl and bare his teeth. He seemed a lot more angrier than he was a second ago.

"Orochimaru?" He half whispered. "You trained with _Orochimaru?_"

Sasuke looked down, a little ashamed and nodded. Itachi swore to himself and visibly looked pained. His face was a mask of anger and defiance - even the wrinkles on his face looked angered. His crimson pupils flashed unpleasently and began to spin faster and faster, Susanoo's form became more defined and lively.

The snake immediately slithered forward in a flash and hauled it's huge tail towards the ground, sending up a flurry of sharp rocks and debris. Susanoo shielded Itachi with his mighty glowing sword and swung it round viciously - managing to slice off one of the snake's eight heads and sending it cascading with a scream, to the floor.

However, it did not last long before Itachi and Susanoo had successfully managed to best the rest of it's seven heads and watch in disgust as they screeched and screamed and wriggled until death touched them.

Itachi gritted his teeth, and stabbed the snake's body through the heart with Susanoo's Totsuka sword. With a puff of smoke, sweat and blood, what remained of the snake completely vanished and only left the heavy craters in the ground, where its body parts fell and crushed the surface.

Sasuke crumpled to the ground, eyes wide and breathing heavy as he felt the energy just leave his body completely and his legs collaspse form underneath him. He desperately grabbed the soil and try to haul himself up with no avail. He silently yelled - now realising that he was just about as useful as a new born baby with his entire chakra supply now drained after using such a powerful technique.

_DAMMIT ALL._ He inwardly cried. _I WAS SO FUCKING CLOSE.. SO FUCKING CLOSE!_

"I left you alive for my own reasons," Itachi said quietly as his dismissed Susanoo and stepped a little closer to Sasuke and then stopped. "You will never know though, you wouldn't believe me, and I don't like to waste my time."

Sasuke didn't even have the energy to reply. He pathetically tried to drag himself over to his brother and point his sword at him. But he fell face first into the dust and continued to lay there. A stray tear leaked down from his cheeks and mixed with the soil. Terror slowly took hold of him as he heard Itachi come even closer and his sandals stop in front of Sasuke's dusty face.

"I inetended for you to come and kill me. To come and take my revenge, do you remember?"

Sasuke close his eyes and recalled that terrible night. He remembered all too well the full moon that shadowed Itachi's face as he balanced on top of a pole and stare coldly down at his sobbing little brother. Sasuke very nearly could smell the scent of blood once again. His eyes prickled unpleasently and he supressed the urge to cry out loud.

_Strike me down. Strike me down now, game over - you've won. _Sasuke begged silently. He squeezed his eyes shut and prepared for the last strike. The one that would cause him to fade out of existence. Would anyone even cry for him? Miss him? Naruto and Sakura certainly would... Hey, maybe he could even tell Kakashi in the afterlife how they were doing.. He could almost see the sad smile from the grey haired man. Sasuke forced a gulp down his throat and tried to keep the pain down deep within his stomach. Every bone in his body felt as if it were melting away into nothing. His soul felt lost and lifeless and his heart was squeezing painfully.

_What's taking you so long? Do it now!_

Sasuke wondered how his parents were living in the afterlife. Would they be happy to see him? He imagined glumy that they would be disappointed that he wasn't able to avenge them and everyone else. Of course they'd never say it out loud, but he wouldn't be fooled...

Sasuke barely scrapped the energy to drag himself to his feet and stare his brother straight in the eyes. Itachi deactivated his Sharingan and his pupils resumed their black colour - black as his heart. Sasuke barely managed to keep himself on his feet. He wobbled to and fro and nearly fell back down again - if not for Itachi's hand that shot out last minute and managed to keep him on his feet.

Sasuke's heart stopped completely as he stared at his brothers fingers on his arm. They felt so... _Alien._

His body became frigid as Itachi's fingers moved upwards and he extended two of them - Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut and prepared for his impendant doom. He visibly jumped as the fingers prodded his forehead and hovered there.

Sasuke's eyes slowly opened to reveal a sight that he hadn't seen for _years._

Itachi was smiling at him.

"Sorry, Sasuke, this is the last time." Itachi said as clearly as he could, removing his fingers from Sasuke's forehead. He fell forward, landed on his knees, and fell back.

Everything seemed as if it was in slow motion - one minute Itachi was smiling.. The next he was laying on the ground, not moving.

He had finally killed Itachi. After training for so many years, it all happened so quick. He had accomplished his task- but not in a way he had wished. He didn't quite know how to comprehend it and his mind was replaying the scene over and over - not quite sure if his eyes were playing tricks on him or not.

Sasuke froze for what seemed like days, as regret and sorrow soared through him. There was no joy, no triumph as he had expected, but only a deep pain.

Trembling, he sank to his knees, and rested his head on Itachi's back.

"I-Itachi?"

He couldn't quite understand it. Revenged has consumed his very soul since he was only eight years old. All of his intense training, everything he gave up - all dedicated towards this very moment. He should be celebrating and walking off in the distance - like he invisioned that he would have done after taking Itachi's life.

But there is no joy, no happiness, no feeling of immense ecstasy. No emotion of any kind. Sasuke was more shaken than he had ever been in his life and for once, the tears flowed freely - lost into the rain and wind.

The brother he loved was gone. Gone forever.


	29. Seven Tailed Shichibi

**Hey guys! Since the last few chapters were pretty short - I thought that I would treat you guys with a longer one - plus I applied more effort to it which I think makes the story a better experience. But I'll leave that for you guys to decide.**

**Leave your comments and reviews here and I will read through them :D**

"... Blah ... " - Speech

_" ... Blah ... "_ - Thoughts, flashbacks and Bhadra.

**" ... Blah ..." - **Haekeri

* * *

**Betrayal 3: Destiny's Darkness**

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Seven Tailed Shichibi**

Sakura had only been to the Waterfall village only once in her life - on a mission with Naruto and Sasuke. The memories were hazy as hell, but she remembered a brunette haired man and some sort of dispute over 'hero water', which she supposed was long gone now. The most clear thing that she could remember, was the huge tree that sat at the side of the village, where the water used to be produced every 100 years. Only the village's inhabitants were supposed to know the entrance to their homes through the waterfall, which was now a secret that Sakura's whole group knew of.

"Alrighty - looks like it's here!" Tobi exclaimed and began to cautiously navigate them round a series of deadly pathways that teetered dangerously off the edge of the waterfall.

"We could always jump off the ledge and swim into the waterfall." Kisame muttered.

"Just because _you're _a good swimmer," Deidara retorted, there were little beads on sweat on his forehead. "C'mon Kisame - what're you afraid of?"

Sakura tuned out their mindless insults and concentrated on not falling off to her d_eath_. Slowly but surely, her group made it safely round the ledges and entered the soft flow of water and emerged behind it, in a torch-lit cave.

There didn't seem to be any sort of guard around, so they continued walking and kept an eye on the shadows.

_I wonder how Ashi's doing? _Sakura thought. He looked pretty damn awful when Naruto and Kisame had carried him through to the house. The snow had given him the impression of being a ghost and he didn't respond to any quick medical check that she gave him whatsoever. She was glad though that Tsunade had personally offered to take him under her experience wing - Konoha had a huge selections of medicines and procedures. Sakura stung a little - she enjoyed working at the hospital and talking to the patients.

The natural light beginning to touch the cave walls around them as the sound of the waterfall behind faded away. A few minutes later, and they stepped out into the bright sunshine and stopped.

The light stung Sakura's eyes - she blinked a few times and was able to see where they were.

Just she remembered, there was a huge tree that shadowed near enough the whole town in a shady canopy to the right of her. The area was breathtakingly beautiful with greenery scattered around the village and fresh flowers billowing out from little tidy gardens and neatly trimmed hedges. There was a long road which she guessed to be the main road that led into the heart of the town. There were villagers minding their own business and starting to open up their shops for another working day. A couple of them spotted the group and whispered to each other and scuttled away in the opposite direction.

"This is bad," Naruto muttered. "We're gonna be easily picked out in this town."

"We stand out too much." Tobi agreed. He took off his cloak and tossed it behind a nearby bush and strapped his weapons to a couple of holsters on his calves and carefully covered them with his trousers again. As they began to dump their belongs where Tobi had done, Sakura dug around in her backpack for a headscarf and tied it securly around her head until none of her pink hair showed. She turned to Naruto and met his confused gaze.

"Uhh, why are you looking at me like that, Sakura?"

"Yours whiskers," she noted. "They might be easily recognised as the mark of the fox."

He shrugged. "Then I'll beat the crap out of them."

"I'm being serious Naruto!"

"Oh fine." He sighed and took a dirty shirt from his belongings and tore strips of it, wrapping them around his face, until only his eyes and his nose were seen. He growled at the way his friends smirked at him and pushed his hair more onto his face. Sakura turned away triumphantly and began walking onto the main street - the others following closely and trying to avoid the many looks they still got.

"Oh Naruto," Sakura said loudly. "I really hope your cold clears up soon." At her words, the villagers stopped giving him weird looks and began to get on with their business. She stepped closer to Kisame - who was walking casually with his hands in his pockets. She began to talk out of the side of her mouth and pretend she was interrested in her nails.

"So who is the container we are looking for?"

"A woman called Fuu. Rumor says that she has a sharp tongue... And smokin' hot." He smirked and watched Sakura stamp away. When Naruto quietly asked her what was wrong, she ignored him and motioned for him to keep walking.

Not long had passed, since they soon reached a huge crystal blue river that shined within the sunlight, reflecting on the sides of the bank. The water was so clear blue, that koi could be seen swimming underneath alongside a couple of mudcrabs and a sea otter. At the far side of their sight, was a long concrete bridge that connected to the bank they were stood on and ran across the river to what looked like the business side of town. Sakura placed her hands on her hips and gently touched the water's surface. The fish swam away.

"So what are we going to do?" She questioned.

"We can't go around asking for Fuu," Kisame reasoned. "It would look too.. Obvious.."

"Nor can we just barge in to someone's house and demand to see if they have a demon tattoo!" Deidara sighed. Sakura sub-sonciously touched the tattoo above her hip and looked out at the bridge again.

"Do you know _any _more information about her Kisame? Any at all?" She said.

He rubbed his blue hair and picked a couple of scales on his face in thought. "Only that when Kakuzu used to live here before he went rogue, he used to hear a lot about how people hated the guts out of her."

"Chances are, she might not be around where a lot of people are." Naruto said quietly. For he knew too well how cruel people can be to demon containers. He squeezed Sakura's hand to reassure her that he was okay.

"I guess we need to stay on this side of the river then," Tobi said brightly. "Why don't we all split off and try and get as much information as we can or something. Without asking too many questions though." He shrugged.

"I'll go with Naruto and Shu then," Sakura decided. "You - Tobi, take Deidara and Kisame.

She bid goodbye to the ex-Akatsuki members and wandered back off into the town with Naruto at her side. The road turned beneath their feet turned into cobble and they headed into a whole sidestreet lined with brightly coloured restaurants and cafe's, their windows were lined with mouth-watering menus. Seeing something at the corner of her eye, she went towards a small orange building with a yellow canopy hanging over the entrance, the mahogany sign above the window read; _Raffino's_.

She scanned her eyes over the menu and was faintly aware that Naruto had stopped next to her. She looked up at him to see him smiling at her.

"You wanna go in?" He offered.

"Can't," she sighed and began walking off again. On cue, her stomach growled loudly and she gave a sheepish look to Naruto. "We have a mission to complete - we can't stop for our own needs."

He grabbed her by the hand and pulled her into the cafe. Inside, there room was illuminated by red candlebras that filled the walls - along with paintings of the city in the past. He led Sakura to an empty booth at the corner of the room and they sat down on the comfy red chairs. Naruto ignored the glare that Sakura was sending his way and waved over a waitress to their table.

The girl looked around the age of fifteen, she looked _terrified _and mangaged to drop her pad and pen a couple of times.

_Poor kid, it's probably her first job._

"S-Something I can get you guys?" She gave a small smile.

"Yeah," Naruto began and scanned the menu at the side of the table. "Two strawberry milkshakes, two double cheeseburgers and two large portions of cheesy fries please," he turned to his wife. "And you, Sakura?" She whacked him playfully on the arm while the young waitress scampered off to get their orders. The cafe itself was pretty empty, save for a couple of old men at the far side of the room and a young mother seated at the table beside the kitchens, feeding her child. Sakura's eyesight went back to her booth - she'd learned from experience not to get too involved with strangers around her.

"If you wanted some time alone, why didn't you just tell me?" Naruto asked quietly and slung his arm around the back of her chair.

"I felt kinda swaped I guess." She admitted. "With everything that's happened lately with Ashi - it feels like.. We're being picked off person by person!"

Naruto hugged her close to his body and kissed the top of her head through his strips of shirt. "I understand hon, but nothing is going to happen to us, I promise."

"How can you be so sure?"

Naruto's face took a serious expression. "Because we've faced so much together in our past - you, I and Sasuke - that we've grown up waaay too much for it all to we wasted now!" He grabbed her hand. "You want to take Tsunade's place in medicine - Sasuke wants to just _live _and create a clan of his own! And me? _I _wanna become the greatest Hokage that ever lived and make my parents proud of me!"

"They would have to be _insane, _not to be proud of you." She said quietly. He looked as if he was going to say more, but at that moment - the young waitress wobbled over to them with her arms filled with their order. Sakura and Naruto rushed to quickly relieve her of the plates and drinks before she toppled over. the girl smiled gratefully and placed the bill on the table with them.

"Will that be all?" She asked politely.

"No actually," Naruto said quickly. "Have you seen or heard anything strange in this town recently?" Seeing her confused face, he rubbed the back of his head. "Uh... Me and my wife here are tourists and we like to travel around the countries and check out the local mysteries." He nudged Sakura under the table and she smiled and agreed.

The girl sub-conciously tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, that had fallen out of her next bun. She quickly took a look to see if her manager was watching and she hid her mouth behind her notepad.

"Well," she whispered. "My dad told me off real bad once - for playing in the fields behind the local bar, right next to an abandoned old warehouse. Anyway, my brother and I thought it would be really fun to play inside the warehouse as it started to rain one day and well.." She paused and checked the tills again. "We heard these strange coughing noises and hacking noises - we couldn't go explore however, 'cause my dad caught us and he wasn't happy... He told us later that the warehouse had been abandoned for a _reason _- i still don't know why to this day.. But he called it the warehouse of _Death. _Then he said something about disease," she tapped her chin thoughtfully with her pen. "That's all I can remember though - I was very little."

Naruto nodded. "Thanks, that was a great help."

"Tifa!" Ordered a chef, who'd appeared behind a kitchen door. "Come on back here - we need your help with cleaning up Kelkie's mess again!"

The girl known as Tifa, quickly apologised to them both and scurried off to follow the chef into the kitchen. When the door swung shut, Sakura began to eat her cheeseburger.

"Was that seriously any help?"

Naruto shrugged. "It sounded interesting enough. I think we should go check it out when we're done here." He hungrily devoured his fries and burger relatively quickly - then turned to his milkshake and it was gone within seconds. Sakura gave him and Shu - who was hidden on her lap - the rest of her half eaten fries whilst she finished the last bite of her burger and the milkshake too. Naruto got up to quickly pay the bill and they stepped out into the sunshine again.

"Where did she say the warehouse was?"

"Next to some fields and a local bar apparently."

"That means we can't draw attention from people in the bar," Sakura sighed. "If people avoid this warehouse, then it's going to look weird when five of us and a ferret walk into it!"

"Then maybe we can get Kisame and Deidara drunk and make them cause a diversion," Naruto grinned guiltily. "Aww come on! Lighten up Sakura - least we have a lead, right? It's better than nothing." He slung his arm around her shoulder.

"I guess not, it'll keep us busy. The others could be doing a lot worse."

Sakura and Naruto continued to wander on and attempt to find the location - which proved harder than they'd oridinally thought. They tried to stop and ask for directions one or two times - but when the people they asked heard of the warehouse, they carried on walking as if they hadn't even been asked the question. When it got to the 4th or 5th person - Naruto was seriously getting annoyed. He almost screamed at their 6th attempt.

She was a young woman with a gorgeous blonde haired and blue eyed child in her arms, that tugged inpatiently at her sleeve.

"We're looking for our friends," Sakura smiled. "They live here you see - and we're from out of town, so we aren't too familiar with the layout. Um.. They told us to meet them at a bar somewhere?" She picked her words out carefully. The woman tore her eyes away from Naruto's makeshift mask and furrowed her eyebrows.

"Did they say which bar? There are a lot in this town."

Sakura inwardly rolled her eyes. "They said it was next to some.. Fields.." She said lamely.

The woman was quiet for a few seconds and rocked her baby absentmindedley. "I think you must mean _Belgravia_ - it's just down the street and up the hill, when you get to the top, turn right and you can't miss it." She smiled and began to walk on.

Sakura and Naruto had no choice but to see if it was the right place. They followed her instructions and kept walking down the road and came to a _very _steep hill that was surrounded in flowerbeds and tall grass. They made slow progress to the top - especially since it was midday and the sun was at it's hottest! But finally, they made it to the top and panted heavily in the grass. Sakura offered Naruto a sip of the water from the canteen in her backpack and they both stood up and stared back down the hill again.

"Getting down there will be fun," Sakura mused. "We can roll the whole way.

"Anything - as long as I don't have to walk up that damn thing again!" Naruto muttered and wiped his forehead. He was getting unbelivably hot under his shirt mask.

"On the bright side though, I think we've made it." Sakura pointed to a little building a little further on than they were. It was pretty plain with it's nameplate on the side of a streetlamp, blowing in the wind and a bed of red flowers leading up to the entrance. Sakura's eyes moved from the bar to the brightly coloured fields behind it. She couldn't blame the children for wanting to play there - the grass was tall and perfect for hide and seek and other games. Her eyes scanned the area again, until she caught sight of a shadowed building a little bit in the distance, hidden by thick oak trees.

Naruto had obviously followed her gaze, because his next words were; "Wow, we've found the place."

Making sure that nobody was peeking out from the windows inside the bar, they both cautiously ran through the fields without making too much noise, and approached the silent, dark canopy in which the old wooden warehouse loomed over them. Sakura stepped forward and ran her hands gently on the heavy door - it creaked open effortlessly at her touch and she tried to peer through the darkness inside. In her mind, Haekeri had risen to his feet and was watching silently - he could tell that there was a demon nearby.

**There is something not right though.**

_What isn't right?_

Haekeri clawed the ground. **I know for definite that the seven tails is within this building... But the signal is still very weak... I do not know why or what has happened though. We have to go inside.**

"Haekeri says the demon signal is weak - but it's definetly here." Sakura translated. Naruto placed a hand on his hip and stared up at the only window - at the top of the building.

A sudden movement to their left, caused Naruto's to tear his eyes away and pull out a kunai from his pouch. He stood in front of Sakura and stared at the rustling bushes. A second later, three figures emerged from it and barely took any notice to Naruto's weapon.

"Wow - you guys made it!" Tobi clapped. He was suddenly punched twice by Deidara and Kisame who told him to be extra quiet.

"The target might hear and run off - _idiot_!" Kisame growled. He composed himself. "Well, looks as if the gang is together again for the demon invasion, huh?"

"Looks that way," Sakura said and stared up at the building once more. "A lot of people seem scared about this building from what we've heard.. Putting two and tow together, I guess that they know that Fuu is in here and won't go anywhere near the place."

"Lonely." Deidara murmured.

The group entered the darkened warehouse and Sakura motioned for Tobi and Kisame to stand by the door and watch it to see if anyone escaped. She stopped in the centre of the room and tried to get her bearings.

It was quite a small warehouse with a ladder on the far wall that Sakura presumed, probably led up to the rafters. There was only small specks of flickering light that shone through the holes in the walls and spotted the floor with sporadic sushine. She didn't need light to tell that the whole building hadn't been properly used in years though. She could smell the heavy scent of thick dust and rot - even the stacks of hay had become brown and lifeless. She silently kept moving and was aware that Naruto and Deidara flanked her on the opposite sides of the room. Even Haekeri tried to make use of Sakura's silently enhanced senses and picked up the slightest little movement.

_Where is she? _

Sakura crouched down and moved slowly, ducking behind boxes and stacks of rotting produce when she could. The whole room seemed w_aaay _too silent. The only sound that she could hear was her own heartbeat against her chest.

_Creak._

She heard that clearly. And by the looks of it, so did her teammates by the looks of it. By the sound of it, the creak had come from above them. She made a beeline for the ladder at the end of the room, Naruto and Deidara met up with her at it. She pointed to Deidara first, then herself and Naruto - then back to the ladder. She twirled her kunai quickly in her fingers and they got the message.

Deidara quickly scaled the ladder and crouched at the top - Sakura and Naruto following close behind.

As it turned out, Sakura had thought wrong about there only being _rafters _at the top of the ladder. Her mouth opened slightly as she stared at the small platform she was on - it was a sm_all _bedroom!

Pressed against the wall, was a makeshift bed made of old wheatsacks and hay. Surrounding it, seemed to be small treasures such as a tiny photoframe with blurred people inside of it and a hairbrush on a broken table. There was a wad of tissues on the windowsill and an assortment of bottles - which Sakura recognised straight away as heavy medicine. She made her way over to the bottles and picked a couple of them up in her hands and smelled them. Behind her, Naruto was inspecting the small shanty room and Deidara had looked at the tissues with disgust.

"It smells like _death _in here." He whispered.

Sakura held up the bottles in her hands. "There's some heavy stuff here. Morphine, Chloroform, Amoxicillin - even the basics such as Paracetamol and Antibiotics! Either Fuu is really paranoid or she's..." Sakura paused. "Seriously ill."

There was another noise - this time from behind them and a scream.

A girl around about the same height as Sakura - flew at Deidara with what looked like a sharp shard of glass. He took her wrists and pushed her away. She hit the metal railings and crumpled in a heap on the floor, coughly heavily. Sakura rushed forwards at once and managed to help the woman to her makeshift bed. When her coughing fit had subsided and she was laying down, Sakura quickly made use of some of the medicine and fed it to her. The woman took it desperately and resumed her position again.

"You could have hurt me!" Deidara muttered.

"Save it for later, eh?" Sakura suggested and quickly took the woman's temperature. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes." Fuu replied weakly. She opened her crimson eyes and regarded Sakura with a fleeting look. Her green hair hung limply on her forehead - long lost its zest for life. She was wearing dirty as hell ninja attire with her badly scratched headband tied to her arm. Seeing Sakura looking at it, Fuu decided to explain.

"Some townspeople got mad at me one day for _existing. _Decided I wasn't worthy of their precious village." She shrugged her dark shoulders as if it were nothing. Sakura's lips pressed together. She heard a flurry of footsteps and Tobi and Kisame had joined them.

"Every one alright?" Tobi said. "We heard a fight."

"Just dandy." Deidara grumbled.

"I'm gonna be rude here and ask, who a_re _you people?" Fuu narrowed her eyes. "You aren't beating me to shit and you haven't got headbands.. So you must be traitors or strangers."

Sakura flinched at the word 'traitor'.

"Here to help," Tobi said kindly. "How long have you been sick like this?" He gestured to the bottles.

She shrugged and said nothing.

Sakura stood and turned to her friends. "Guys - how about we give the girl some room. She's seriously ill - I can tell just by the atmosphere in here. And I don't think that she would like a hoarde of strangers asking questions. I'll stay with her and do what I can."

"I'll stay." Naruto said automatically.

"_No,_" she persisted. "Naruto - frankly you look scary to strangers with your mask on. I want you and everyone else downstairs to wait for us okay? When it's time to... Take care of the seven tails, I'll be right down."

The edge in her voice hinted that it was a closed case conversation and everyone returned back downstairs to wait - even Naruto. Sakura straightened her clothes and returned back to Fuu, who was eyeing her cautiously.

"I thought it would be better not to have so many eyes on you." Sakura shrugged.

"Thanks." Fuu said slowly. She coughed a little and regained composure.

"I need you to tell me what's wrong with me though," Sakura chided. "So I can treat you. I'm a medic."

Fuu shook her head. "It wouldn't be something that you could help me with. And even if you could - who could say that I would even _want _you to? Life isn't that good as a goddam contain-.." Her eyes bulged and she quickly slapped her hands on her mouth and pressed her back tightly on the wall.

Sakura held up her hands and slowly lifted her top, until Fuu could see the tattoo on her hip.

"I'm one too."

Fuu's mouth dropped open at this and she gently prodded Sakura's skin. She inspected the intricate detail down to the very last line and sat back on the bed when she was satisfied.

"Fucking hell."

Sakura nodded. "You don't need to be afraid of me, we're in the same boat here.." She licked her dry lips. "So I guess I should explain why I'm here..." She paused and replaced her shirt. "You need to promise that you won't freak out or anything though - or my friends will assume that they need to get up here and help."

Fuu touched her head and suddenly looked very tired. "Fine."

"My demon is the ten tailed dragon. Um... He basically used to oversee all the other demons - until they betrayed him and became evil on causing chaos in this world. After that, the dragon roamed for thousands of years, looking for a human who could help him to... Banish the demons altogether in hell, where they belong."

She half expected Fuu to dive out of the window and make a break for freedom. The girl merely scratched her head and gently massage her temples. There was a little blood at the corner of her mouth that she wiped away.

"So you want the demon outta me, eh?" She said casually.

Sakura blinked. "That uh.. Would be great, yeah." She said stupidly. Fuu smiled at the comment and cast her gaze to the window, where the sunlight still filtered in and illuminated the small dust specks that were floating around.

"I suppose I better tell you a secret since you told me yours," she said conversationally. "The reason I'm near death - is because of a stupid fight I had with the leader of Akatsuki once... I managed to kill the son of a bitch but it came at a price," she held up one arm that seemd to be withering away. "The bastard inflicted me with some _disease _and I've been like this ever since. Slowly and painfully meeting my end."

"Pein? You killed Pein!" Sakura gasped.

Fuu raised her eyebrows. "So?"

"It's just that I heard a rumor he'd been killed. Just didn't know that you were the one who did it.. Did you kill Konan as well?"

Fuu shook her head. "Never heard of her. I just ran into Pein by accident. Or rather.. He was after my demon too - for his own selfish reasons though. He made both me and my demon sick, the only positive thing from it, is that he's _dead. _He can't make anyone else suffer anymore." Sakura noticed that her eyes became more shiny and she lowered her head.

Sakura averted her eyes and concentrated on the small photoframe on the ricketly table. The people inside were still blurred, even though she could make out Fuu's green hair and her maroon eyes. The person next to her had the same sort of hair - only darker.

"To be honest," Sakura began. "I'm surprised that you're actually very _laid back _about this. I would usually have to fight you.." She blushed and became slightly embarrassed about touching such a delicate subject.

Fuu grinned. "I'm happy. Neither me nor my demon will stay sick anymore - you have no idea how it's been for us - never being able to have the energy to _leave _this place and eating the rotting food in the crates downstairs!"

_She's talking as if she's connected to her demon. _Sakura inwardly rolled her eyes at how stupid that sounded. _I mean - I know that they're connected through the tattoo seal bond.. But its like she's not reffering to it in that sense._

Haekeri lowered his head. **Maybe the illness has brought them both together. **He suggested. **I doubt that either one of them has the energy to fight with each other anymore.**

Sakura's eyes opened wide. _She won't fight me because she can't. She has no choice but to sit back and.. Depend on me._

**Yes.**

"Shall we get started then?" Fuu said quietly. Sakura nodded slowly and helped the woman to her feet. She slung one of Fuu's arms around her shoulders and began to help her downstairs. Fuu was scarily as light as a child - her limbs were stick thin and bones were more easily seen under her dark, sunken skin.

"By the way," the woman turned to her and smiled. "Congratulations on the baby," seeing Sakura's stunned face, said said; "You're showing it a little."

"Hopefully I'd have finished my mission by the time I have it." Sakura gave a small smile.

"I see. So after me, how many more demons have you got left to catch?"

"Three I think. So I'm getting closer."

Fuu smiled to herself. "And after it's over, you get to go back home and live a happy life with your family, eh?"

"Yeah.." Sakura felt uncomfortable and hauled her over to the stairs. Almost immediately, Kisame had appeared next to them and gently took Fuu into his arms with a sly grin, and jumped back down to the second floor. Sakura followed suit and her friends came to meet her. Kisame put Fuu down as soon as he saw Sakura's death glare his way.

"Fuu is going to let me extract the demon," Sakura announced. "I'm gonna need you guys to stand back and let me do the work - I don't want any of you to get hurt in the process."

"Of course," Tobi exclaimed. "Only Naruto has seen you do extractions!" He bounced around and headed over to the wall. Sakura dug into her backpack and gave Shu and her belongings to Naruto to hold. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead for good luck and followed Tobi and the others. When they were waiting patiently and watching her, Sakura brought Fuu to the middle of the room and gently helped her to sit down.

"Don't be afraid," Sakura bent down and whispered. "You get to go home after, too."

At her words, Fuu's gorgeous maroon eyes opened wide and twinkled - the prospect of being able to live a normal life absolutely shone throughout her whole being. She looked more healthy already.

Sakura winked and stepped back, closing her eyes and her breathing steady. She mentally stepped into her mind and felt Haekeri step forwards into her skin. Her nerves and blood prickled and sparkled with the intensity of his power - every atom and blood cell became joined with his. Behind her eyelids - she could feel her pupils dialiting vertically and the pigment turn crimson. Of course the only thing that didn't change, was her ability to speak freely through her own lips.

"_Ruler, ruler. Take back thee_," she whispered in Bhadra. Her voice gained a confidence element that caused Fuu's body to shake a little - her own eyes turned pitch black.

"_I command you, to disappear from whence you came. Never show your face, your wings, or your scaly bug like body again.. Seven Tails Shichibi_."

She stepped back quickly and made a quick handsign. She laced her fingers together and brought both thumbs up to the top, both little fingers sticking out daintily.

Now, Fuu's body began shaking uncontrollably, her every limb creaked with effort and her dark skin turned even darker and scaly. Sakura stepped back a few steps

and Sakura watched in a mixture of horror and awe as the ground seemed to open up beneath them. Long black, tendrils roe up from the cracks and wrapped relentlessly around the huge dragonfly-like demon that rose from Fuu's being. Suprisngly, he didn't even seem to struggle and sat there whilst the tendrils slowly grabbed him and sank him down into the hole. The demon looked up from the floor to Sakura and his beady black eyes connected to Haekeri's.

_Thank you._

Sakura made another hand sign and chakra strings shot out from her fingertips - she already knew the drill. The chakra was bright crimson and pulsating slightly under the power. With a heavy and guilty heart - she brought the strings to the decending dragonfly's skull and they ripped deep into his skull - sending flesh and bone into the void.

The dragonfly wailed.

She latched onto Fuu's body - which was deeply embedded in his skull and yanked her out and brought her to Sakura's side ad the void made a loud roaring sound and sealed itself completely. Haekeri's stepped back into Sakura's mind once again and she took control of her body.

Fuu's body was limp. Her eyes were closed and her skin had a new tint of pale. Sakura gently sank to her knees and stroked the girl's green hair away from her face.

In her mind, Haekeri was tired and hot, he watched Fuu with great intensity.

**Sakura.. **He said slowly.

She ignored him and tried to rouse the woman from her slumber. She was aware that there was a moisture in her eyes - but she never stopped trying to shake the woman awake. Haekeri closed his eyes for a few seconds and spoke as clear as he could.

**The illness got to her before we could save her.**


	30. Beginning's End

**Again, I continue on with my nocturnal nights and fill up my time with writing - I can't seem to help it though, I've kind of become addicted to writing this fic! Plus it feels so good to be near the end - it really is amazing. **

**Song recommendation for this chapter; **Good Times Gonna Come by Aqualung

**Leave your comments and reviews here and I will read through them :D**

"... Blah ... " - Speech

_" ... Blah ... "_ - Thoughts, flashbacks and Bhadra.

**" ... Blah ..." - **Haekeri

* * *

**Betrayal 3: Destiny's Darkness**

**Chapter Thirty: Beginning's End**

"Sakura." Someone said.

She ignored them and continued to stare up at the warehouse. The sunshine had long ago gone and was replaces with clouds and light specks of rain. She was aware that the speaker had come to her side and repeated her name again. She opted to stay in her thoughts and tried to find a name for what she was feeling - a explanation of some kind. Nothing arose and she was stuck with grief and guilt. Sure enough, she had laid Fuu's body back on her makeshift bed - but no matter how sorry Sakura felt - it couldn't amount to what Fuu had lost - her own life.

"Sakura." The person said again. Her blank stare met with Tobi's orange mask - which had somehow lost it's colour in her eyes.

"Perhaps," he said quietly. "We should burn down the warehouse as a symbol of gesture for her."

"A symbol of gesture?"

He nodded. "She was trapped in there for a long time. I'm not really a sensitive person - but burning it down would be like were releasing her." He shrugged and kept his voice low so that the others couldn't hear. "Plus I think the villagers would finally let their grudges go - knowing this place has gone. Children would be allowed to play in these fields again."

It didn't take Sakura a while to mull over the idea. She nodded tiredly and retreated backwards to stand beside Naruto - who slipped his hand into her cold clammy one. Tobi uttered a few words and the building erupted in flames - they tore fast through the woodwork and silently rose up to the second floor where Fuu's body would lay in rest forever. The smell of burning hit Sakura's nose and she wrinkled it. She was glad that her friends had the sense not to talk and ruin the moment though - they stood respectfully in a line and watched the silent wreckage.

Sakura narrowed her eyes are the tones of red and orange mesh together, twisting and twirling upwards like some unseen dance. The world around them, also seemed to have a red tint - even the sky.

_I don't like this feeling. _She finally decided. _Guilt.. hurt.. Suspicion. What's coming next? _Even Haekeri had no response to her rhetorical question.

"Let's go." She announced after the warehouse was slowly transformed to ashes at their feet. There were still a few dying embers that refused to be extinguished and the black smoke still billowed upwards.

"That would be the best idea," Naruto nodded. "Before the towns people see us."

They quickly travelled down the steep hill - easier than earlier - and made their way through the cobbled streets and alleys towards the little cove where the waterfall was. Sakura was silent the whole way, thinking about how she was _not _going to fail in her mission that hundreds of people had died for over the years. If anything, the experience had toughened her up and taught her that she _needed _to be strong in order to win. In order to defeat the Kyuubi in the end and get home.

_I will not fail._

Much later that night, they'd found a small but comfortable spot to stop for the night in. Sakura waited until everyone else was asleep and sat next to the camp fire - warming her hands and staring into the flames, recalling the ones from earlier which had been way more intense. Tomorrow, they would be heading out to that Akatsuki hidden base that was used to extract and store the caught demons. Sakura couldn't help but shake the horrible feeling that had been with her all day. She didn't quite know what to make of it and nor did Haekeri. for once, they were totally lost.

She sighed and let herself fall back onto the wet grass. The moisture sank through to her skin but she didn't very much care - too wrapped up in her thoughts.

The stars above were unusually bright and twinkled beautifully. There was also a full moon that was a little obscured by wisps of cloud, but still shone brightly down on them. She let herself be whisked away into the sky and imagined that she was flying through the stars and constellations. At the end of the trail - she saw a lot of faces she knew... Her parents.. Kakashi.. Kimoko.

"Sakura!"

"Huh what?" She shot up into a sitting position and covered her eyes from the intense sunlight that filtered through the trees.

"You feel asleep." Someone had said. She recognised the voice as Deidara's. A hand appeared by her face and Naruto was suddenly looming over her, looking worried. She gratefully allowed herself to be pulled onto her feet and squeezed his hand for reassurance.

"I know that look," she warned. "Yes I did get enough sleep."

The day ahead of them was pretty boring and only consisted of walking. Tobi had ventured a guess that it would take a few days to travel to the extraction cave and would take about 20 minutes for him to open it - apparently there was a powerful jutsu blocking the way.

To save on a little time though, they began running through the constant supple of treetops. Everyone could feel that they were soon near the end of the journey and were impatient to get back to their normal lives. Sakura sometimes wondered what Tobi, Deidara and Kisame would do afterwards with their freedom, but she never asked.

They soon fell into a pattern of running, break, walking, break, running, break, they tried to make the journey seem a little faster by talking about random topics and such and what demons they thought would be at the cave - since Tobi didn't really know.

Three days passed quite fast thanks to their efforts and they soon found themselves stood at the bottom of a colossal cave door that reached higher than their eyesight could see. The cave was situated at the bottom of a drained ravine - at the bottom where they were stood, the floor was nothing more than slush and debris. The landscape was either muddy brown or grey and thick cliff walls surrounded them ominously. It took the group a while to navigate down the drained ravine, but they managed to do it in the end.

Sakura was still lost in her thoughts and she felt the distance between her and Naruto growing farther and farther - but there was nothing that she could do. She needed to be able to fight Kyuubi without worrying about him in order to concentrate on not getting him _killed. _She hoped to god that he understood why, and that she still loved him to bits and he was her whole e_xistance._

Tobi stepped forwards towards the cave entrance and took out a small knife, pressing it into the palm of his hand until it bled freely. He pressed his palm on the door and kept it there until the rocks shone bright red, glistening with his blood. He didn't even wince as he stepped back and let the blood drop in a circle around him, on the floor. He muttered a few more words, taking cautious steps around the small blood circle. When he was done, he stepped out of it and faced the cave entrance - bleeding palm in the air. He made a one-handed gesture with his good hand and suddenly, the floor began shaking uncontrollably.

Sakura stepped back into Naruto's arms and he pulled her to the ground and held her tightly in between his arms and legs. Her held felt as if it were splitting in two - and so did the ground beneath them. Deidara and Kisame stayed on their feet and watched in awe as the huge cave door began to descend gradually into a crater that opened up underneath it.

"Fucking hell." Naruto swore under his breath as soon as Tobi turned to them.

"Welcome to Akatsuki's extraction base," he said cheerily and ushered them all inside.

The smell of rot and mould hit Sakura's nose as soon as she entered. She winkled it and tied her headscarf that she'd used in the waterfall village, around her nose. The room was pretty big - with yet another huge stone statue in the centre - both hands held out. She shuddered and wondered how many people had died in that room. How many had to go through excruciating pain, just so the Akatsuki could get the demons. She took a side glance towards Deidara, who looked mildly disgusted.

"I was never involved in extractions," he answered before she could even voice her question. "Kisame and I were more on the mission side of things. Hidan, Kazuku, Konan and Pein handled the demon side of things."

Sakura looked at Naruto. His eyes looked pained and his other hand clutched his stomach were his seal lay under his clothes. She could see that he was silently praying for all the containers that died here. And it would stop very soon, Sakura would see to that.

"Alright Tobi.. Show us where the demons are." Sakura said with more confidence than she felt.

Tobi said nothing, but beckoned them to follow him and headed for an almost invisible side passage to the left of the extraction statue. Sakura and her friends followed him obediently, the door closed behind them and left them in utter darkness. There was small scratching sound and an eruption of light - Tobi now held a burning torch in his hands. Sakura couldn't help but notice the way the flickering flames gave him the image of a demon. She still had that eerie feeling that hadn't left her since Fuu's death.

Tobi led them down a flight of stone steps and around a series of stone passage ways, lighting every empty torch on the wall with his own, as he went.

There was a wooden door at the end of the hallway and Tobi stopped and turned to them all, with his gloved hand on the handle.

"I'm afraid you can't all come in," he said apologetically. "Sakura needs to be the one who can only see what's behind the door, and I'm the only one who can show her."

Sakura's eyebrows rose and she nodded silently. Deidara, Naruto and Kisame made themselves comfortable on the floor whilst Tobi held the door open for her. She stepped in and the door shut as soon as she was in. Tobi went to her side and gazed at a treasure looking chest in the corner. The box itself was very beautiful and made of solid gold. She had to resist the urge to run her hand over the shiny, hard surface. Tobi led her over to it and gestured to the box.

"I can tell by your face, that you want to touch it." He giggled.

"I've never seen solid gold before," she laughed and placed both of her palms on the surface. "Are the demons in here?"

"In a different form, yes," Tobi explained. "There's a way that they can exist on this world without a container to anchor them.. Of course Pein would be the one to be able to do it.. And that's in the form of gem-like orbs."

Haekeri stood up in her mind and growled. **Impossible! It goes against the laws of this world.**

"Open it." He said and retreated to the back of the room.

She was slightly worried that Haekeri had seemed so affected. She finished feeling the gold plating and her eyes fell onto a lock at the front of the box that was also intertwined with gold specks. With shaking hands, she easily pulled the latch upwards and forced it backwards with a deafening creak and a slam. Inside the box, were three orb like substances that emitted a glow - lightning up her face. Her mouth opened wide and she slowly lifted one up in her palm and rolled it about in her hands.

"Demon essence." She whispered. A thought suddenly flashed across her mind and she whipped round to Tobi - who watched her silently.

"Tobi!" She exclaimed and held up the orb. "These three demons are the _last _demons we needed before the Kyuubi! Do you _know _what this means?"

He nodded. "That after you defeat the Kyuubi - your mission will be over."

Words cannot describe how she felt. Okay - she was still dreading having to extract the fox from Naruto - but s_till.. _She was done with hunting demons forever now! She could finally go home soon and live out the rest of her life as her own - and Haekeri would have finished his time on earth and would return back to the heavens! No more sleeping under the stars.. No more living in fear and darkness.. No more worrying for the safety of her unborn child!

_Haekeri - we're so close!_

She could feel his restlessness and the hunger in his eyes. He'd been waiting just as long as her to see his mission fulfilled.

She turned back to the box with the biggest smile she'd ever worn and dropped the orb back into its place. _Okay then, how to we get rid of these first, before we start making any last battle plans?_

**Even though these essence gems defy logic, **he sighed. **I think that we can just do the normal procedure and send them into the void. I am sure that it will work just as well.**

Sakura nodded and close her eyes, relinquishing control of her body to Haekeri, who stepped into her body and began making hand signs and stepping back to a safe distance.

"_Ichibi.. Rokuri.. Hachibi.." _She chanted _"End your rein of terror and malice, today you are banished for eternity into the depths of hell, you three will never walk the earth again."_

And with that, the void opened from underneath the sold gold box, which sank down slowly. The orbs began to vibrate viciously and small screams and moans filled the room of the three demons. Soon enough, the gold containing the orbs disappeared completely into the void and with a sucking sound, the room resumed as normal.

Sakura couldn't help but think what a shame it was to have lost such a beautiful and probably expensive box. She turned back to where Tobi was sat on a wooden chair and walked slowly towards him. The smile slid back onto her face and the happy feeling welled up within her again. She was going home soon!

"Well done, Sakura." Tobi said quietly. "You never thought that you would be able to do it, didn't you?"

"Yes," she smiled. "That's why you have no idea how happy I am right now!"

"Oh.. But I do."

She stopped walking and frowned slightly, letting the comment slide. Tobi breathed in and got up off the chair. He exhaled and shoved his hands in his pockets, his mask staring dead on at Sakura.

She was suddenly aware that there seemed to be a draft coming from somewhere - it blew Tobi's jet black hair slightly back and forth. He said nothing and still continued to keep staring at her. She felt very uncomfortable that he was acting so creepy. He took a step towards her and she stood her ground. Haekeri was growling non stop and filling her head with the echoing noise. Her heart beat unsteadily.

"I want to tell you something Sakura," he said slowly. "As a present for almost finishing the mission."

She noted the word; _Almost._

Tobi took another step. She backed up one step.

"It may shock you a little at first. But I'm confident that you'll understand. After all, you are not the weakling little girl that you once were, are you Sakura? You are not the child who cried herself to sleep in the Akatsuki, because she betrayed her village.. _And _her friends."

"How the hell do you _know _about that?" She demanded. He was starting to creep her out even more now.

"Because," he paused and took another step. "It was all me."

"_What _was all you? What's wrong Tobi? Why are you acting so strangely?"

"Your destiny was all down to me. I did everything," he grinned behind his mask. "I convinced the nine tailed demons, hundreds of years ago to betray Haekeri and Fafnir. It was _me _who told Ashi about you and kept him alive - it was _me_, who hired those ninja to attack us at the Akatsuki base in order for Ashi to step up and act like the hero. It was me who did e_verything_, my cherry blossom puppet."

Sakura felt as if she was floating through a rip in time and space, twirling around between the oxygen-less void. She heard Tobi's sworded words.. But they didn't suite seem to make sense, nor register in her head. It was like a play - were the script was all jumbled and it couldn't be read properly. And even if his lies we_re _true... It all seemed like a really badly rehearsed joke.. Any minute, she expected Naruto, Kisame and Deidara to burst through the door and yell; _Surprise! _Maybe it was her birthday or April Fools - it was the only explanation that would've made sense to her at that moment. She couldn't trust anyone else. Besides.. Even if it were true... It was _Tobi. _Harmless, hyper, stupid Tobi.

"Why?" The word escaped her mouth before she'd even thought about it.

"Are you _kidding? _Who _would _pass up the chance to obtain the power of the greatest demon of them all - Haekeri. And all that is standing in my way from immense power.. Is you, Sakura."

Her heart felt as if it had plummeted into a bucket full of ice. "You'll _never _be able to get his power." She whispered as huge tears began to roll down her cheeks and land on the concrete. _Why Tobi why? Please tell me it's all a joke and that you're my friend._

"I got rid of the old man, didn't I? I got to manipulate that pretty pink head of yours." He cackled loudly - his voice reverberated around the walls. Sakura clapped her hands around her ears and gazed sorrowfully at the man she thought had always been her friend, the man who used to comfort her when she was feeling down back in the organisation. The man who had protected her from the ANBU and led her to believe that he died for them. She was so _happy w_hen he tracked them down again.

The door behind them both, swung open and three figures stood in the flickering torch light, with grim and angry faces. She recognised them as Naruto, Deidara and Kisame. Had anyone else _betrayed _her? Did anyone else have an ulterior motive?

"That's enough," Deidara said dangerously. "We've _heard _enough." His face was a mask of anger and betrayal. His fists were clenched so hard that they were probably past the pain.

"If you insist," Tobi shrugged. "But Sakura needs to know one more thing."

"You've got no right to even _look _at her - fucking bastard!" Naruto roared and was about to run at Tobi until Kisame held him back.

Tobi ignored the interuption and stepped forwards towards the shaking girl. He slowly raised his hands to his face and began to slowly remove his orange swirled mask. It fell through his fingertips and landed on the floor. She gazed at his face - which was strangely young and staring down coldly at her. His hair fell carelessly over his black beady eyes and there was a small scar on the side of his pale face. He looked surprisingly normal.

"I," he smiled. "Am _Madara Uchiha."_


	31. The Uchiha Master

**Sorry it's been a little while guys - I recently got addicted to Halo Reach on Xbox live again D: Damn you Microsoft! Anyway, pretty soon I won't update very much at all because I'll have to get a job soon and earn some kind of income -Rawr. So when it comes to that time, I hope you all will give me your support and be patient :)**

**Leave your comments and reviews here and I will read through them :D**

"... Blah ... " - Speech

_" ... Blah ... "_ - Thoughts, flashbacks and Bhadra.

**" ... Blah ..." - **Haekeri

* * *

**Betrayal 3: Destiny's Darkness**

**Chapter Thirty-One: The Uchiha Master**

Isn't it funny how time sometimes works?

For example; one second Sakura was stood with her mouth open in horror at Tobi - no.. _Madara Uchiha._

And a few seconds later, everything seemed to explode into a flurry of emotion and betrayal. She was aware that the room they had stood in, had caved in and they were now in a much larger complex. Also, she faintly heard the sounds of battle around her - which she supposed was the cause of the cave-in. There was a flash of blonde and blue and blonde once again. The faces around her became blurry and went in and out of focus.

_Am I broken? _She wondered stupidly. Neither her hearing or her eyesight seemed to work very well. How she managed to stay out of harms way, was beyond her. At least it would be something to think about later on.

The hardest thing to get her head around was the fact that Tobi was no longer her _friend _anymore. It meant that every moment, every word and every laugh that was shared between them, was all a blatant lie. Was a blatant _betrayal._

So why wasn't she screaming for his demise?

Some part of her knew that she wouldn't be able to take down Madara even if she tried. She imagined that orange flamboyant mask and recoiled that thought instantly. It seemed like Tobi had died a long time ago and this.. Horrible Uchiha had taken his place. The only other Uchiha alive, apart from Sasuke, Itachi and Ashi. She was glad that they didn't know of his existence and probably would never get to.

_They would feel just as hurt as me._

She really needed to get a grip - and she knew it. Being so close to the end of the mission - and yet having to battle this psychotic, power-hungry villain before he killed _her _just downright awful. But she came this far through miniscule odds.

_I can overcome this last obstacle. _

Apart from having the overwhelming urge to crawl into a ball and cry her eyes out, she clenched her fists and her hearing and eyesight snapped back into shape. Ahead of her, Kisame and Deidara were giving all they had on Madara - who was still besting them. Beside her, was Naruto watching on anxiously and protecting her. When he saw her looking, he grinned and said; "Welcome back."

How long was she even spaced out for?

"Fucking bastard!" Deidara roared and sent a clay bird flying at the Uchiha. "We _trusted y_ou! How the fuck can you just turn around and tell us that you were the b_ad guy?"_

"Too right," Kisame grunted. "I preferred Tobi when he was a fucking retard." He swung his sameheda over his head and attempted to slash Madara's chest open. Madara danced backwards and activated his sharingan.

"Madara fucking Tobi Uchiha," Naruto muttered. "Has been putting up a good fight - the guys have been holding him off till you came to." He checked Sakura's temperature and she waved him off with a hand and stood up.

"We have to defeat him." She said quietly.

"Only if you don't let your personal feelings get in the way, Sakura. Madara _is _Tobi.. And that also goes for me too, you won't be able to worry about me, when we're fighting."

She smirked. "I've come too far now to get taken down by someone like _that._" Although on the inside, she felt an immense pain at the thought of killing him. She quickly swallowed it down and remembered how he'd manipulated her like some kind of sick toy. She growled inwardly and stepped forwards into the brink of the battle, where Madara spied her quickly and stopped moving.

"Well I'm glad that I won't be fighting with children anymore." He indicated to Kisame and Deidara. "How about it my cherry blossom? A one and one battle between you and I?"

"You mean; you me, and _Haekeri_."

He shrugged. "It's all the same to me. Point is - you're gonna die."

Sakura grinded her teeth together and flew at the man. Of course, she knew that the battle wouldn't be as easy as training with Deidara, Naruto or even Kakashi - but she knew that she would give it all she had to keep her friends safe.

**I knew there was something odd about him. **

_I didn't. He had me completely clueless for five or more years, thinking that he was there for me and cared about my well being. What a fucking joke._

**Do you want to use my power for this battle? It will be tough.**

_No, s_he inwardly sighed. _If you don't mind - I want to be able to beat him myself, with my own power... I want to be the one able to bring him down, after what he's done to me._

The dragon agreed and stayed watchingin her minds eye, with his back arched slightly. She could sense that he wasn't too happy with her choice, but for once - she didn't really care. Tobi _had _to be the one to go down and Sakura wanted to do it with her own hands. She could see Tobi's smug face across the room and his crimson eyes watching her with amusement. Physically, he didn't look a lot like a shinobi but his power lay more within his sick, twisted mind. She saw Naruto, Kisame and Deidara at the corner of her vision, talking quietly and probably making up battle plans in case she should fail.

_I'm not the girl who always needs to be rescued anymore._

She pushed a flurry of chakra to her feet and began running towards the infamous Uchiha, who stood still and regarded her with a smile. As she anticipated, he darted quickly out of the way and retorted calmly with a well aimed kick to the chest. She rebounded and swung her leg from under her own body and back flipped back onto her feet again. Madara brought up both of his forearms to block and slid backwards a tiny bit - but that was all that she needed to slid under his frame and boot him in the back. He barely blinked an eye and turned round, seized her ankle and launched her into the air with it. Sakura ignored the pain from the grasp and used gravity to throw her body around to see him again - he was looking up at her from the ground, looking bored. She let herself fall freely to the ground and stuck out her legs to wrap around his waist. She bent backwards and threw his body over her own and watched him fly across the room. He landed with an _oomph _over by the broken extraction statue and wiped the blood from his mouth.

"Not bad." He jumped onto a vertical side of the statue and kicked off from it, soaring towards the girl. She twisted her head around to see there was a jagged wall behind her, impulsively she ran up the soil and kicked off from it as well - rivaling Madara's momentum.

As both she and Madara shot towards each other - Sakura was quite aware that Naruto was calling her name angrily and yelling at her to be careful. However, she'd blocked out everyone else's voices and only concentrated on the moment. It was only Madara and herself in this empty world now.

_I can't die. I won't die._

Madara flipped around in mid-air and pulled out a strange knife shaped weapon from his pouch. As they were about to collide, he began to spin himself around and slice the air so fast, that it made a harsh metallic sound.

"Sakura!"

She whipped her head around to the person who had called her name - taking her eyes off Madara for a split second. He seized the opportunity to slice his weapon into her upper forearm and the room was suddenly reverberating with her screams. She hit the ground with the side of her body and her shoulder also stung in pain at the impact. There was a hurricane of footsteps and suddenly Naruto was at her side and looking down at her, worry etched on his face.

"Are you okay?" He choked and cradled her body in his arms. She bit her lip to stop herself from crying out loud and nodded quickly. She picked herself up from the dirty ground and scanned the room.

The person who had called her name and distracted her, was walking slowly through the entrance and making their way over to her. Seeing his wrinkled face, pure white hair and slight limp. Sakura felt her hopes rise.

"Cairo!" She called.

Cairo nodded and smiled kindly at them all. He bent down and gently inspected Sakura's deep injuries and stood up again when he was satisfied.

"You should take Sakura and get out of here," he said quietly to Naruto. "This is going to be a dangerous fight - I'll hold him off for as long as I can-.."

"Look- I'm _fine_." Sakura insisted and got to her feet, wobbling slightly. "I want to be the one to take down this bastard! He betrayed me!"

"I know," Cairo said patiently. "But this isn't the type of fight that concerns you. You only need to carry out with your mission - while we take care of the sidelines in order to protect you, Sakura."

"I don't _need _protecting!"

"Got it." Naruto nodded and both men ignored her protests. He signaled to Kisame and Deidara and pointed towards the exit that lead back into the bright world again. Sakura suddenly found herself being flung around Naruto's body and on his back, with her arms around his neck. Sakura watched as Cairo began to walk towards Madara and they exchanged some quiet talk. Cairo brought out his strangely shaped weapon and brandished it confidently. Madara merely smiled.

_I hope he'll be okay._

**He will. He is a tough old human**

Naruto wasted no more time and ran as fast as he could with her settled on his back - and made for the half-obstructed exit back to the valley. The room became a blue to Sakura and she could just barely make out another blonde and blue figures on the other side of the room, heading the same way. The glare of the outside gave Sakura a little hope - like the darkness behind them all was just a bad dream that she'd never have to see again. She smiled and hugged Naruto's neck a little tighter for comfort and buried her head into his ramen and pine scented skin.

What happened next however, she couldn't really fathom. One minute, she was one cloud nine and hugging Naruto close to herself.

And another minute, she glanced up to see Madara's crimson eyes glaring into her own. And it was like she was seeing in slow motion once again.

Madara's hand was under Naruto's shirt and clutching what looked like his demon seal - Naruto's mouth opened in horror and he couldn't dodge Madara's grasp in time enough to escape. Naruto's eyes flickered into life for a second and then his eyelids drooped and closed. The Uchiha roughly brought back his arm and hung onto a strange orange and yellow type essence. The colours twirled around each other beautifully - but seeing the hungry look in Madara's eyes - led Sakura to know at once, that what was happening, was not beautiful.

She fell to the ground with Naruto's limp body and she cradled his head in her arms. His eyes were still closed and his whiskers had completely disappeared - along with his demon seal that was on his tanned stomach moments before. For a few moments, her world completely stopped as she put two and two together.

"YOU BASTARD!" She screamed and whipped around to face Madara. "YOU TOOK THE DEMON OUT OF HIM! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'VE DONE?"

Madara inspected the twirling essences around his arm and carefully set it at his feet. "The tailed demons are _my _property," he said calmly. "I only took back what's mine. And dearly beloved Naruto paid the price.."

"Paid the price?" She screeched. "NARUTO DIDN'T FUCKING _ASK _TO HAVE A BIJUU INSIDE HIM!"

"And nor did you, right?" He snorted. "I'm not letting you escape either, Sakura. You also have something that belongs to _me_."

Haekeri roared loudly and her head rumbled with his anger. She'd never felt such an intense hate radiate from him before. She could even feel her own pupils begin to dilate and her nails lengthen and harden like a beast's.

The essence on the floor has begun to grow and expand as soon as Tobi put it down. The colours swirled around and crashed into each other like a demonic sunset, they twisted and changed shapes until they loomed over everyone else and began to take a form of a huge fox-like creature. The Kyuubi in his true form - was absolutely horrifying. Sakura clutched Naruto's form and tried to wake him up again, whilst Kisame and Deidara backed off towards the wall and took their battle stances. Cairo simply stood still and stared up at the huge red fox.

Kyuubi gnashed his teeth together furiously - it seemed like he stumbled around a little bit in order to get used to his body again - his nine bushy tails were swishing about madly in excitement. His eyes fell upon his unconscious container, his huge black mouth formed into a smirk.

Sakura wanted to scream at the damn fox and tear out his fur at that moment, she held herself back and hugged Naruto closer.

_Need to.. Cling onto my human side a little bit more..._

"Kyuubi," Madara called pompously and held out his arms. "How have you been?"

"Shouldn't you be dead by now, old man?" The fox retorted rudely, his tails stiffened slightly. Madara raised his eyebrows into his jet black hair and merely shrugged.

"Death and I are friends." He replied.

The fox snorted and gazed around at the rest of the people in the room with hunger in his eyes. He spied Sakura and licked his lips slowly.

"Sakura," he drawled. "You're quite the demon yourself now, ehh? Both in reality and in the bedroom."

She blushed heavily and quelled the anger deep within her. How _dare _he bring up intimate moments in her's and Naruto's private lives? She almost died at the thought of what her friends or Cairo would think! He looked satisfied enough and turned his attention back to the Uchiha.

"What do you want?"

Madara thrust his hands in his pockets. "You can't guess?"

"I have a few theories."

"I want to try again," Madara announced. "I want to succeed on where we first failed - this time will be different though," he gestured to Sakura. "That girl I'm sure you know - has your old leader. _Haekeri_. Now imagine what we could achieve with his power on our side!"

The fox said nothing, but continued to stare at Sakura with a strange look on his face. Their eyes connected and neither one of them broke eyesight. Haekeri stepped forwards into Sakura's eyes and stared back defiantly. Kyuubi was the first to break the chain and he faced back towards Madara and snorted - it rumbled around the room loudly.

"After your last insolent world domination plan - I was _banned _from being in my own body and bound to humans for hundreds of years, along with my brethren!" With every word, Kyuubi seemed to get more and more angrier and louder, until Sakura's ears were painfully ringing. The fox heaved himself to his feet and pawed the ground impatiently

Madara smiled. "But you cannot betray me. I created you.. And you are my _slave_."

The fox then went mad and viciously thrust his tail into the walls and ceiling - causing debris to rain down on them all. Sakura quickly grabbed Naruto's limp form and pushed him halfway across the room to avoid an onslaught of jagged rocks that littered the floor. Deidara helped to get hold of Naruto and flung him onto his back whilst Kisame quickly helped Cairo to the outside. Sakura and Deidara followed suit and dodged both the fox and a furious Madara.

At last, Sakura felt the light flash onto her dirty skin - the sunshine had long ago gone and was replaced by heavy cloud and light sprinkles of rain. There was a huge bang behind them all and Kyuubi was breaking his way out of the huge entrance, which was still not big enough for him.

"Sakura!" Deidara called and set Naruto down safely next to an old tree. The blonde sprinted back full force to her, as the fox swished his tails and nearly sent them both flying. From the other side of the ravine, Madara had begun to try and attack them all with fireballs that lit up their surroundings. Sakura narrowed her eyes and whipped around to face her comrades.

"Kisame - will you take Naruto and run as fast as you can away from here?" She choked out, eyes prickling with angry tears. He knew better than to argue with her - although the look on his face said very clearly that he did not want to miss the big fight. He effortlessly picked Naruto up by the stomach and shouldered his sword. With a quick nod for good luck, he rushed off to the other end of the ravine and disappeared into the thick trees in the distance. Thankfully, the Kyuubi and Madara did not notice their escape and focused themselves on each other. Sakura was almost tempted to run after them to definite safety - but she could feel Haekeri's hunger brewing within her to take down the last tailed demon once and for all and end their long year out on the road. She still had a duty to finish, after all.

With a lot of effort, she cast Naruto from her mind and concentrated on the huge fox.

_At least I know for definite, that Naruto won't be dragged down to hell with the fox. _The thought was comforting.

"So how is this gonna work?" Deidara asked quietly. Sakura's gaze moved from the fox to Madara and she shrugged.

"I don't know. I can't run anymore," she turned to Cairo. "I know you wanted me to be safe, but this may be our last chance to get the Kyuubi - and I'm gonna take it."

He nodded humbly. "It is alright, but whilst you are handling the fox, why don't Deidara and I distract Madara Uchiha and make sure he does not interfere with your battle? The last thing he wants, is for the Kyuubi to be d-.." Whatever Cairo was going to say next, Sakura would never know. There was a flash of crimson and black and Madara was suddenly standing behind Cairo. There was a sword embedded deep within Cairo's spine.

The old man went visibly rigid and could only make so much movement as to form his mouth in the shape of an 'O'. He slumped clumsily to the ground and that's where he stayed - the sword still jutted out horribly from his arched back.

Sakura's heart stopped - she thought she was dead until he began to beat loudly in her ears again. Madara was long gone and on the other side of ravine again - his attention back on the fox as if he didn't give a shit about what he'd just done. Who he'd just _killed._

_I don't believe this is happening._

And very much like earlier, she fell painfully to her knees and into a pool of his own dark blood. It was easy to tell that he was long, long gone. His beautiful blue eyes were still open - but the light in them had already faded and now they just resembled cheap plastic. His long, white hair was covered thickly in blood and dirt. Sakura narrowed her eyes - Cairo should _not look as_ bad as this... It just didn't fit the picture at all.

First, Madara had taken away her beloved Naruto - and possibly killed him... And now he had taken away her mentor for the past year.. The man who had cleared the blurof her past which had plagued her for the past four years or so.. Her friend.

Even within her mind, Haekeri's eyes had silently closed in anguish and his head was bent in respect. He was mentally sending his thoughts and thank yous to the heavens where surely, Cairo was now resided.

_Haekeri._

He opened his eyes and nodded. **Are you sure?**

_Yes. I want you to let out all of your power and use my body as an anchor. That should be enough to keep you here physically, right?_

He nodded once again. **Yes, but there is a small chance that you will not be able to go back to your human form once again... You may be trapped within me forever, if you decide to let out my body.**

In truth, she had expected something like that. She had now known all too well that within her world, she could not expect something, without something else being taken away harshly, ripped away from existence. Her hands moved down to feel her baby bump - the child that she may never have, if she chose to make the decision.

And what would Naruto do? If both Sakura and his child had died while he was unable to protect them - he would be tempted to kill _himself._

But then again, she would save all of humanity with the sacrifice.

_Do it. _The thought was painful and it nearly made her choke on her own silent sobs. Her heart was aching painfully and trying to reach out to Naruto to let him know to continue on with his life, even if she couldn't be with him. Even thinking of him with another woman, and their children, made Sakura want to cry out and stop the process. Was it too late already? She could feel her whole frame, being condensed into a small ball and thrust into Haekeri's complex mind. She could see his red scaled limbs grow scarily fast up from the ground and the way his eyesight flickered into super detail. She could feel his happiness from being able to use his own body - exactly the same as when they had went to see Fafnir together in the world between life and death.

She closed her eyes and looked at her floating body - it already seemed as if it were fading away into wispy smoke. It was obvious that she would not be able to last very long.

_So then what will I become?_

In truth, she didn't have a clue how to answer her own question. And judging by Haekeri's silence, neither did he.


	32. The Fox and the Dragon

**Oh wow - it's been a little while guys but guess what? There are only two or three more chapters left! Yaaaay =D Who's excited? Anyway, please read and have a good time :D**

**Leave your comments and reviews here and I will read through them :D**

"... Blah ... " - Speech

_" ... Blah ... "_ - Thoughts, flashbacks and Bhadra.

**" ... Blah ..." - **Haekeri

* * *

**Betrayal 3: Destiny's Darkness**

**Chapter Thirty-Two: The Fox and the Dragon**

_"Do you remember, when we first met? You and I."_

_The clouds were bobbing by silently overhead, Kyuubi didn't bother to look at his companion, but instead imagined the clouds formed into all kinds of shapes and sizes. He sighed. It was yet again another flawless day in the heavens. Not a drop of rain in sight, neither a hint of grey. Even the clouds themselves were fluffy and white._

_"I remember," Kyuubi said finally. "Master brought me here as the last tailed demon and introduced me to you all." He shivered on such a perfectly warm day, recalling the awkwardness he felt when the rest of his compainions had stared at him like an outsider, unsure of him._

_"Haekeri," he began. The dragon looked at him with kind eyes. "Do you remember your earth life at all? You know.. Before you came here."_

_The dragon's face split into a grin. "I never had one," he said quietly. "Fafnir took me directly from the lifestream and brought me here. I've never been to earth otherwise."_

_Kyuubi's crimson eyes widened as he took in this information. Sure enough, Haekeri was only a little different to the rest of his friends - because he had the power to control them all, if he willed it. But Kyuubi had no idea that Haekeri had never experienced anything but.. Perfection in the heavens. He'd never felt rain on his scales, or felt any pain, or even been injured in any sense. _

_From the corner of his eyes, he saw the dragon settled peacefully in the grass and stare up at the sky once more, satisfaction on his face. Kyuubi narrowed his eyes - suddenly feeling awkward and a little dirty around such a perfect creature. The sins that he commited back, when he was still alive, flooded back to him once again. He whined quietly._

_"It was not your fault you know." Haekeri whispered. Kyuubi's fur tensed in shock._

_Haekeri shrugged his scaly shoulders. "Your mother died because of the poisoned meat she ate.. It was not your fault. There was nothing you could do-.."_

_"Even so," Kyuubi snapped. "I can't even go check - whether she made it to the afterlife or not - because I was chosen to be a tailed demon and we're sectioned off! We're isolated here!"_

_"Fafnir chose you to become the nine tails, because he knew you would be able to protect the heavens along with the rest of us. He sees great promise in you. And so do I."_

_Kyuubi kept his mouth shut and was faintly glad that his fur was already red, at least no one would be able to see him blush at the compliment. He thought of his mother's beautiful face and the way her fur was tinted golden in the sunlight. She was a majestic and proud creature, powerful and fast. She could chase down a field of rabbits in the time that it would take him to take down ONE. He was her only offspring, and she was his only parent._

_He was only a young cub by the time she'd died, after taking a bite from a poisoned chicken. It was only until later on in life that Kyuubi found out that humans sometimes killed their own life stock and then injected their bodies with poison, to kill foxes and other predators._

_He had his revenge though._

_He continued targeting and killing humans up until he was faced with a fearful human mother and her child. He still remembered their horrified expressions as they cowered against that brick wall. He remembered stopping and looking at them for a long, long time. And then the mother brought out a kunai and slashed him through the skull with it. When he woke up, he was in the heavens, with Haekeri and Fafnir stood over him._

_"I miss you, mother." He muttered. "Does she even know what I am now?"_

_Haekeri nodded. "Everybody in the afterlife knows our names and faces by now. I bet she is very proud."_

_"I wish I could go see her."_

_"I would let you - if not for the segregation rule. In order to do our duty and protect the heavens.. We must live alone from emotional ties. It is the burden we face." Haekeri arose from his legs and swished his tails happily._

_"I hope you find your happiness one day." Haekeri said quietly and skipped away, leaving the little fox lost and confused in his thoughts for his future and the rest of his eternity._

* * *

It was a long time since Kyuubi had felt that glorious sunshine on his fur.

How many years had it been now? Hundreds? Centuries?

He knew that his time and crimes on earth had taken its toll on him. His crimson fur was littered with bald patches and scars from where he had scratched so hard and caused wounds. Even his yellow eyes paled with age - he even had to blink twice to recgonise the being stood before him. Haekeri looked sickly extravagant, never before looked so powerful and full of justice. It was like he'd inherited power and strength that hadn't been there before. Once again like many times before, Kyuubi felt dirty, stood before such a pure being - oh how he loathed that feeling of unease and embarassment that the dragon brought him.

Kyuubi narrowed his dirty eyes and noticed the pink essence behind Haekeri's crimson orbs. With a sharp pang at the back of his mind, he matched up the essence with Sakura's lifeforce - the strange girl that his container had taken as his mate.

_So that's how he has managed to anchor himself on this world.._

"It has been a while." The dragon said finally, swishing his ten tails as by way of a greeting.

Kyuubi raised his head. "I don't really think we need the formalities ehh?" He replied feebly. What the heck should he even _say _to the close friend he's betrayed all those years ago, for Madara's fake promises of power.

Haekeri shrugged. "I was not sure if you would remember me or not. It really has been a long time."

"Years." Kyuubi grunted and moved around from one huge paw to the other. He turned his gaze to the other end of the ruined valley, where Madara was caught up in battle with Deidara. Both men seemed to be yelling insults at each other and putting their best into trying to murder the other.

A drop of moisture landed between Kyuubi's eyes. It was beginning to drizzle.

"Let's get this over with, ehh?" Kyuubi growled. "I know whatcha here to do and what will happen to me. So why the hell are you still standing there!" He hadn't meant for his last words to be yelled, really. The shock of seeing his former best friend in the flesh and being able to be in his own body combined, scared the hell out of him - not that he would admit it though.

He didn't want to die. Death was the very thing he feared, he ran from.

The awful dark figure called death, that had taken his mother away.

_I won't be able to see her again.. She's safe in the afterlife at least though.. Is she disgusted of me and what I've become?_

He thought of how unfair it was to have the chance to see his mother again after his own death. If not for the stupid segregation rule for the tailed demons - he would never have made that deal with Madara - he never would have become the monster he was today!

Problem was, he didn't know who to blame more. Fafnir, Haekeri, Madara or himself?

Haekeri hadn't bothered to say anything for a long time, while Kyuubi was stuck, battling his thoughts and feelings. The dragon only regarded him carefully with hungry eyes. It didn't take a genious to work out that he was relieved to have almost finished his mission - he would be returning home in the heavens again without the burden of the tailed demons anymore, he could do whatever he want with the rest of his existence. Everything would work out kittens and rainbows for him.

"I'm suprised," he said steadily. "That you've agreed to endanger the girl for your own gain. And I thought that you were the more responsible one."

"It came to this," Hakeri growled in response. "Because you went too far - you and the rest of the tailed demons, decided to join this piece of trash." He jutted his head towards Madara in the distance. Kyuubi barely blinked an eye and silently accepted his friend's took a few moments to compose himself. He lowered his head and raised his hind end, pawing his scaly feet into the mud - an unmistakable battle challenge.

_So it's come to this huh?_

Kyuubi didn't much have a choice but to accept the challenge.

"I hope that you one day find peace." The dragon said humbly.

"There's no peace in hell." Kyuubi spat and launched for his old friend. Haekeri was known for his nimbleness and managed to dart quickly to the left and nip the fox's side. Kyuubi lunged under the dragon's scaled belly and kicked him roughly in the thigh, to which the dragon retorted with a well-aimed swipe of his claws to Kyuubi's chest.

Kyuubi reeled back in pain - his crimson eyes laced with embarrassment and anger, while Haekeri looked calmly on. He shook the shock off quickly and ignored the red liquid gushing from his abdomen, with every rushed heartbeat he felt more and more weaker. He could do no more than simply grit his huge teeth and battle on.

* * *

Sakura was too scared to open her eyes. The sea of purple scared her.

Actually, the purpley-violet was probaly the most calming sight that met her eyes. What r_eally _unsettled her, was the images flashing across the sky. Her memories.

She opened her mouth to yell Naruto's name out - but her voice was gone and she opened and closed her mouth like a trapped fish. She wriggled and writhed amid the sea of purple flowers until their petals invaded her mouth and nostirls. She silently coughed and spluttered until the feeling had gone. And then she was left laying helpless once again.

_Where the fuck am I? _She thought quietly. The last things she remembered was something to do with Naruto and Kyuubi. Somewhere along the line, she figured that she and Haekeri must have made some kind of deal and _bam, _here she was. Alone and confused.

The skies above her, also had that purple kind of glow - her memories flashed across them faster and faster, matching her heartbeat as she recalled past events that she'd long forgotten.

It was slightly disturbing to watch in third person.

_It's like I'm_, she paused. _Dead? Am I lying dead in a ditch somewhere?_

She gave the sky a worrying glance and felt the flowers all around her - they felt real and smelled real. Fear gripped her chest as the possibility of her death really sunk in. What was she going to do now? Had Kyuubi won?

Naruto. She mouthed his name slowly.

There was a slight crunch from somewhere to the left of her. A figure emerged from the soft mist and was bathed in light next to her.

Her mouth fell open as she rubbed her eyes and stared at the figure. He tossed the grey-ish hair from his eyes and stared at her kindly with his one good eye. Even this godforsaken place - he still wore that stupid mask.

Kakashi looked as if he was smiling - his eyes glittered slightly and he silently extended a hand down to Sakura, pulling her gently to her feet. His hand was cold and soft. Sakura stared at it blankly and blinked for a few moments before feeling a few cold tears escaping down her cheeks and disappearing into the flowers below. She closed her eyes and hugged him around the waist - she didn't care if this was a dream or not.. She never had a chance to say goodbye to her old mentor.

_Where are we? _She mouthed. Kakashi pointed to her lips and shook his head slightly. She guessed that in this place, he couldn't speak either for one reason or another. Sakura narrowed her eyes and wiped the moisture and forced a shaky smile.

_I missed you, Kakashi. _She said silently. _It's been so hard not having you around to critisize me for when I'm doing something wrong or help work out what's happening. _

At her words, his eye crinkled up into a rainbow as if he was laughing and his face was full of light - he'd looked much younger than he'd done in years. He patted her head gingerly and nodded in agreement. There was so much that she wanted to ask him - and to tell him about her adventures and everything Team 7 had been through.

But this wasn't the time.

Behind Kakashi, several more blurs began emerging from the mist and coming towards the pool of light where both of them stood. Sakura glanced at Kakashi, he calmly kept gazing behind him. They obviously wern't enemies.

Sakura's heart stopped as she wiped the rest of the tears from her eyes and surveyed the newcomers properly. To the far left, were both of her parents holding hands and smiling at her tenderly, beside them was the young woman that Sakura recognised as Ashi's mother - Kimoko. She winked and tossed her glossy hair back, crossing her arms. On the right side of Kakashi, was the little old man that she had come to know and trust, Cairo. He nodded his head in respect and another figure stepped next to him. The man who created it all. Fafnir.

It was all too much. Sakura sank to her knees and began to sob uncontrollably, slapping her hands over her face so that the smiling figures would not see her inner pain.

They all looked so _happy _and there she was - spoiling that perfect 'death' reunion moment. Every one of their faces was burned into her mind, as if they could see into her soul. Their faces seemed perfect and free of pain and turmoil - they deaths they had obviously hadn't affected their afterlife.

She felt strong arms gently tugging her upwards and she found her eyes connecting with deep blue ones. Fafnir smiled gently and swept the invisible dirt from her body. She couldn't bring herself to stare at anyone else - partly from embarrassment and shyness. Besides, his eyes seemed like the safest place to look at the moment.

"Before you ask," he said kindly. "You aren't dead, little cherry blossom."

His voice was as sweet as she remembered it - perfect in every sense. She furrowed her eyebrows and pasted a confused look on her face. He seemed to read her mind and smiled again.

"You cannot talk here," he explained. "Because you are not meant to be here yet. And because of this, you cannot hear their voices." He indicated to the silent people behind him.

She closed her eyes slowly and imagined Haekeri. Fafnir understood.

"He is fighting the final battle. Do you remember what happened before you woke up here? You agreed to forge into each other so that he may become stronger and have a better chance to defeat the nine-tailed fox."

She nodded as memories of the Akatsuki cave and her friends flooded back to her mind. Tobi's betrayal.. The beast being ripped from Naruto.. Cairo's death.. She clenched her fists and rage flooded the pit of her stomach. She waved her arms around and tried to communicate her anger to Fafnir - who watched her calmly and twiddled his fingers.

"I know," he said gently. "Which is why I am sending you back to your world in a minute."

She stopped. _I thought you said I was not dead? _She mouthed.

He shrugged. "Technically your body does not exist at the moment and your mentally dead within Haekeri. My choice was to either take to with us," he again indicated to her family and friends. "Or for you to return and see the battle end finally," he paused and gently placed a hand on her stomach. "After all, you have got a special little boy in there, and he needs his mother."

Sakura's hands fell to her tummy and she rubbed it tenderly. The tears were swelling up in her eyes again. She glanced at her parents and grinned. _Will my baby boy have their grandparents? _Both her mother and her father nodded silently and held each other close. Cairo mouthed his congratulations and Kakashi winked.

"Before you ask," Fafnir smiled. "I brought them here because I thought you needed some closure."

She nodded and didn't need to ask what he meant. However, she was a little mortified that he'd managed to read the deepest darkest secrets of her mind and the anguish and responsibility she'd felt at losing the ones she loved. A thousand things were screaming in her head, she shook them away and faced Fafnir once again.

"Cairo would like to say something to you," Fafnir announced and patted the old man on the shoulder. "However since you cannot hear him speak - I shall have to translate," he paused and cleared his throat. "'_I'm sorry that I had to leave you.. I already knew what Madara was going to do all this time. But you were the only one who had the courage to surpass it all and save the world. I put all of my trust in you - all of humanity in you. And you didn't let me down. '" _Fafnir nodded. "Something I agree with."

Sakura choked back another sob and gently took the cold old man into her arms. He closed his eyes and patted her hair gingerly.

"I think it may be time for you to get back now." Fafnir said gently. Sakura nodded in agreement - half numb that she was dreaming all of this and feeling as if none of it was happening at all.

She sighed and took one last longing look at her companions. Her mother, her father, Kimoko, Kakashi, Cairo and Fafnir - they were all on her side, rooting for her. Proud of her. They had always been and would always will be.

"We will probably not meet again." Fafnir announced. "Thank you, Sakura. You have done more than I could have ever expected from you. You deserve true happiness and a good life with your new family." He grinned and formerly bowed. "You will always have my eternal gratitude." Everyone else nodded in silent agreement. And before Sakura could open her mouth to say anything else, they all disappeared into wisps of smoke before her eyes and faded back into the mist. The purple sky and the memories collasped upon each other and Sakura found herself being flung through the flowers and flying freely in the air.

The air pressure around her began to thicken will the mix of oxygen and carbon dioxide amongst other earthly smells. She was flying through history - zooming into her own realm and time where people still needed her to live.

_Alive. _The word sounded so sweet.

Sound rushed into her ears so fast that she was worried that it would burst her ear drums and render her deaf. She clapped her hands around them and drew her knees into her body and prepared for what felt like a hard landing. She fell through a bright rip in space and landed heavily on a hard patch of mud, sand and grass.

Her body felt so heavy now. She struggled to even lift up her head to see where she was.

A tremendous roar.

Sakura's head snapped up and she was miraculously on her feet. The scene that was before her was confusing and brutal at the same time.

Kyuubi was almost unrecognisable amidst his injuries - he'd managed to turn the land red in his own blood. However, that wasn't the shocking fact. Sakura's eyes fell to what was under Kyuubi's paw. What was _screaming _under Kyuubi's paw.

"Don't kill me!" Madara screamed. "I created you.. I GAVE YOU EVERYTHING."

"Fuck you," Kyuubi growled. "I never wanted any of it." And he ground Madara along the floor until a few more bones broke in the man's body.

For a brief moment, Sakura took pity in Madara. She saw the Tobi behind his evilness and what he would have been if he hadn't of been power hungry and cunning. Madara's eyes connected with her own - pain laced in his pupils. Without even realizing it, her legs were running towards the massacre. Kyuubi's head snapped up in her direction and watched her with confusion and he prepared to make the final blow.

"Sakura!" Someone roared. She found herself being shielded by a huge scaled leg - Haekeri was stood, protecting her.

She didn't even stop to ask the question why - as to how they were co-existing together without sharing the same body. It looked as if Haekeri was thinking the same thing - but the huge cut above his eye caused him to force his pain away and concentrate on the matter at hand.

"What are you waiting for?" Kyuubi roared and bared his teeth. "Start it, Haekeri!"

Haekeri glanced again at Sakura and tossed his head to the left. "Deidara - hold Sakura and keep her safe, while I deal with Madara!" He barked. The blonde suddenly appeared from nowhere and snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her atop a huge clay bird. Sakura struggled and fought, but Deidara held tight and gently shushed her. He fell back onto the bird's neck - exhausted and sweating and regarded her.

"Where did you _come _from?"

She coughed from the flying dirt in the air and shook her head. "I _think _that I died for a little bit," she glanced sideways at the huge dragon. "Then I was brought back.. And maybe that's how Haekeri is still.. _here._" Her mind was fuzzy and she had a huge headache. She balanced herself carefully over the edge of the bird's hind feathers and stared at the scene below.

"What's going on?" She had to raise her voice over the wind whipping at her hair.

Deidara joined her on the feathers. "Kyuubi relented and they both turned against Madara." He said quietly.

She raised her eyebrows. "Kyuubi?" She snorted. "Why would he give up? He's evil."

"Looks as if he has some humanity left." Deidara said quietly. Down below, Madara was still screaming and yelling obscenities at both tailed demons as they stared at him disgustingly. Haekeri looked as if he was sighing and retreated onto his hind legs and spread his leathery wings wide. He brought together his two front claws and began to mutter something under his breath and move his claws in fast motion.

Sakura recognised it instantly.

She tried to leap off from the bird to stop Haekeri, but Deidara had anticipated this and threw himself onto Sakura's legs and yanked her back safely onto the bird and restrained her.

She kicked and squirmed. "You idiot!" She cried. "He'll go to hell if we don't stop this!"

Deidara closed his eyes in pain and held on tightly to her until the strength seeped out of her body.

"Tobi never existed," he whispered. "That is not Tobi down there. Tobi is a lie."

As much as she hated to admit it - he was right. In a last final move to safe him - she'd forgotton completely what Madara was really like. How much pain he had put her and her friends through for years.. He was the reason she wasn't able to have a normal life - he was the cause of being bonded with Haekeri and being given the task of risking her life.. And also risking the life of her unborn son.

But yet she still felt sorry for him.

Down below, the hell chasm had opened up - looking even more impressive and deadly from the view from the bird. Kyuubi couldn't resist squashing Madara into the ground a little more as both of them began to descend into hell. Madara continued to scream - loud sounds of anger and pain that cut through the bitter air like a huge knife and rocketed through Sakura's and Deidara's bones like slime.

The chasm closed and left the valley in total silence.

Deidara guided the bird down to the ground beside an exhausted looking Haekeri. Silently, Deidara and Sakura stepped off the bird and stared at the space where the hole to hell had been. The silence seemed unnerving.

"It's over." Haekeri said quietly. "Kyuubi and Madara - they're gone forever." Something in his eyes told Sakura that he was deeply unsettled about something. And for the God that ruled all tailed demons - it wasn't a common occurance for him to look troubled.

He coughed deeply and his head sagged towards the ground. One of his horns had been shattered a little and was emitting a lot of blood, streaking down the side of his magnificent snout and cheekbone. The rest of his body fell alongside and caused a small mushroom cloud of dust to raised upwards into the grey sky. Sakura gently touched his scaled nose. One huge yellowy eye met her own and they silently stared at each other for a few moments.

"Thank you," he whispered hoarsely. "I would not have been able to do anything without you."

"Are you going to die?" She croaked and hurriedly forced some healing chakra into the fingers and stepped forward to begin healing the injuries. Haekeri gently shook his head and stared at her steadily.

"I'm not going to die," he promised. "I'm just going home." At these words, Sakura saw a tiny bit of moisture at the corner of his eyelids. He smiled toothily and gently punched Deidara's shoulder with a claw.

"I trust you to take Sakura back to her home?"

Deidara nodded. "Of course, Kisame and Naruto and that damn ferret should be there by the time we get back too."

Sakura gasped. "Naruto - will Naruto be okay?" She grabbed Haekeri's muzzle in hope - being careful to avoid the cuts that adorned it. Haekeri nodded and smiled weakly.

"I promise that everything will be okay for you, from now on." Haekeri whispered, his breaths were starting to slow down and his eyes were beginning to dim. He gently rested his head on his front legs and looked as if he was getting ready to fall asleep. Sakura leaned close to his huge spiked ears.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "He was your best friend wasn't he?"

Haekeri stiffened slightly and relaxed. He made a noise to indicate that she was correct.

"Tobi was your friend too."

"Used to be my friend." She corrected.

"That's the difference," Haekeri smiled gently and let his eyes droop shut, his chest rose and fell gently as he made himself as comfortable as he could. He folded his magnificent wings into themselves and let them hang lose around his abdomen. His ten tails had curled around themselves neatly to form as one. Even torn and bloody - Sakura could not help but admire how beautiful he was.

There was a small trail of light emitting from Haekeri's head and spread slowly from his head to his tails, bathing his body in soft white light. Sakura and Deidara drew back a few steps as the dragon's body transformed into glittering wind - blowing around the whole valley and high into the sky. Sakura grinned and stared at the spot where her long time friend had just left them.

"He's gone home now, eh?" Deidara stretched out the aches and pains from his body. After seeing the many strange events whilst travelling with Sakura - nothing seemed to suprise him any more. Sakura delicately touched her chest and silently searched for the other consciousness in her mind that she had really grown to like and was comforted by for so many years. Instead, she was just met by emptyness. She couldn't help but feel sad, despite the fact she had her own mind, her own body, her own life once again.

"Yeah," Sakura said quietly. "He's home now."


	33. Revelations

**Yaaaay - this fic is nearly finished! Anybody have a tissue? :D**

**Leave your comments and reviews here and I will read through them :D**

"... Blah ... " - Speech

_" ... Blah ... "_ - Thoughts, flashbacks and Bhadra.

**" ... Blah ..." - **Haekeri

* * *

**Betrayal 3: Destiny's Darkness**

**Chapter Thirty-Three: Revelations**

The sound of glorious birds and the soft whooshing of wind, was woke Sakura from her slumber. Although - she had been awake half the night already, taking in the cool, clean air and relishing her clean white sheets and fluffy pillows. She had no idea hospital beds could be so _comfy. _She spent most of her time caring for the people _in _them normally.

She brushed the sleep from her eyes and tossed her legs over the side of the bed, wincing in pain as the bandages on her legs, were cutting off the blood flow painfully. She made a mental note to get Tsunade to talk to the other nurses about not trying to kill their patients with their eagerness.

She stretched out her legs and arms and wiggled her fingers and toes. Nothing seemed to hurt more than it should. Only a few minor scrapes a bruises - plus her torso was covered in bandages as well, her shoulder ached a little. Apart from that, she came out of the last battle and the _long _walk home, rather luckily.

"Even though I spent most of it passed out." She muttered and yawned, stepping over to the windowsill and perching on the edge.

It was summertime in Konoha now - and everything looked so beautiful and fresh and new.

The leaves and flowers had bloomed - littering the entire village with hues of pink, green and red. The residents were busy going about their daily chores and working. Sakura squinted, she didn't recognise anyone she knew.

Had her friends even found out that she turned up at the village gates in the company of an Akatsuki just the night before? Or that even Naruto had been brought in a few days ago with a fish man?

She had a lump in her throat again. Tsunade knew where Naruto was and after a hurried explaination of what happened to him, from Kisame. Tsunade and sent him along to surgery and had been in her care around the clock. When Sakura had asked to see him, Tsunade insisted that he needed to recuperate and banged Sakura in a lonely hospital room all the way at the other side of the building.

_Which means she probably wants to yell at me. _She thought glumly.

But could she really blame the hokage? Her very own student, had spent the last year running around with Akatsuki members and getting her own friends into a hell of a lot of danger.

There was a small click of the door opening and shutting again. Sakura came out of her thoughts and glanced up from the window to see a very tired - but smiling Tsunade, and a familiar boy stood next to her.

"Ashi!" Sakura exclaimed and jumped off the windowsill to envelop the boy in a deep hug.

"Ow." He said and gently stepped backwards - rubbing the arm he had in a sling. He grinned. "I heard what you did. Well done, man." And he held up his one good arm for a high five, to which Sakura clapped him with and brought her gaze to Tsunade.

"Thought that you might want to see this terror," she indicated to Ashi. "He's been flirting and asking for sponge baths from every damn nurse in this hospital!" She narrowed her eyes and glared at the teenager. He shrugged - not bothered and pointed to his sling.

"As you can see I'm injured and need looking after," he smirked. "That's what nurses are for right?" The smile was wiped off his face as Tsunade smacked his head with her fist and continued talking as if nothing had happened.

"As you can see, he's doing good - although the last genjutsu he performed, overworked his whole chakra system and now thanks to that, he can't use his bloodline technique anymore."

Sakura gasped. "He can't use it anymore? You sure?" Her eyes darted from one person to the other.

Ashi rubbed his head. "People have been hunting me for years to exploit that technique - I'm glad I can't use it anymore!"

"Plus it nearly killed you." Tsunade added and walked over to the window, folding her arms. "There has been no sign of elder Uchiha though." She shot Sakura a dark look, to which the pink haired girl returned. It was one of the few questions that Sakura hadn't voiced yet - she didn't have the courage. Now knowing that Sasuke was still missing, a small lump of anxiety formed in the pit of her stomach. Ashi hadn't bothered to reply to that comment.

"Is Naruto okay?" Sakura forced Sasuke out of her mind for the moment.

Tsunade sighed. "He's doing well and responding to our treatments. From what that Akatsuki - Kisame explained to us, Naruto had the demon forced out of him into its ultimate form," she paused. "Of course being a medic yourself, you know what kind of internal injuries he would have had already. He was a mess."

Sakur choked back a dry sob and imagined the sort of horror that was going on inside his system. Both Haekeri and Tsunade assured her that he would be okay - but she still couldn't help but feel skeptical.

"Can I go see him?" She whispered.

Tsunade nodded and turned to her. "In a minute, yes - because I know that if I don't let you, you'll go and do it anyway when my back is turned.. I wanted to talk to you in private first." She looked pointedly at Ashi, who got the point and clapped Sakura gently on the shoulder.

"I'm glad your back." He said by way of a goodbye and left the room. Sakura sat on the bed in silence and tried to avoid the glare of her teacher. It was too obvious as to what would come next. She began to fiddle with the sheets with her fingers to give her something to concentrate on, and braced for the worst.

"Sakura," Tsunade began. She looked as if she had trouble finding the words. Her pearly white teeth were slighty pinching her glossed red lips, a slight crease between her perfectly plucked eyebrows. "I'm proud of you."

The woman began to laugh airily at the sight of Sakura's jaw dropping open and smiled fondly. She patted her pink head.

"Although running around the country with infamous Akatsuki members is certainly _not _something that you're going to be doing again." She added dangerously. Her voice softened. "You managed to do something that not a lot of other people would have had the strength to do! And maybe if you were younger.. Just maybe you wouldn't have been able to achieve half as much as you have now - but look at my student now!" She slapped her left hand with her fist and smirked. "I guess I taught you well, eh?"

Sakura nodded sheepishly. "It was _your _scary godlike strength, that I inherited."

Tsunade closed her eyes and teetered on the edge of the windowsill and absentmindedly stared down at the streets below. "I want to talk about the Akatsuki members you brought back with you - nothing bad, so take that worried look off your face before you get stressed out again!"

Sakura adopted a pasty smile. "What about them?"

"The blonde one - Deidara was it? I had a little talk with him in my office this morning and he was telling me about himself and the journey you guys were on. If I'd only known _half _the stuff you would have faced - I would have wanted to come with you."

"You wouldn't have been able to-.."

"Exactly," the blonde woman nodded. "You weren't allowed to take everyone for one thing, plus I had my Hokage duties - Shizune wouldn't have been able to handle it all by herself! But the point is, Sakura.. Deidara has _skill_. Skill that this village could use - should it come to another war."

Sakura's eyebrows knitted together. "So what are you saying?"

"I'm saying, that I would like to keep him working in this village as our demolitions expert, with your consent. As for aiding you on your journey - he will be pardoned of his crimes and given a new alias as to stop his respective village from tracking him to us. It's a very ricky move indeed - but I believe it will be for the better to strengthen our defenses."

"And of Kisame?"

"Kisame and I also had a talk. He has opted to continue wandering through the country by himself. I think he might be looking for something. Whatever it is - it's not here. He also said that he wasn't very good at goodbyes, so he wanted me to pass it along to you."

Sakura inwardly sighed. If anything, the miserable fish man had grown on her a little - and he was the one who managed to drag Naruto and Shu back to the village and keep them safe through the slow journey they must have had. She felt a little sorry that they didn't even get to have one last conversation - and probably never would. But she hoped with all her heart that he found some sort of happiness somewhere.

"What is it, what are you thinking?"

Sakura bit her lip. "What if the village doesn't accept Deidara as a citizen - even _with _an alias?" It was bad enough that Naruto had all those years of being shunned by everyone. It would kill both of them to have to watch Deidara to have to go through the same thing for a chance at getting a new home a freedom.

"Ah, but no one else in this village but a select few even _knows _about the Akatsuki's presence here," the Hokage winked. "It's safer that the people continue living their own world, rather than living in fake fear. You know more than anyone that Deidara is a good person - not everyone would see it that way. To them, he's just a murderer. A villain.. Something to channel their hate to."

"In order to keep him safe, I have to lie and pretend?" Sakura shrugged. "For him, yeah okay - me and Naruto'll do it."

Tsunade nodded curtly and proceeded to open the hospital room door. Gentle chatter and sounds of the hallway flooded into the room. Tsunade paused and looked back around at Sakura.

"I checked one more thing," she said. "Your baby boy is as healthy as he can be." And with that, she smiled one last time and left the room in peace. Sakura fondly stroked her inflated stomach with her hands and quickly tossed some clean clothes that a nurse had laid out on a hanger, next to the bed.

Carefully, she left the room and recalled the directions in the hosital where she had spent countless hours with patients and her friends. To her knowledge, Naruto was on the other side of the hospital recovering.

But Sakura knew better than that.

_No way _would Naruto be laying quietly in his bed like some kind of cripple. He'd be up and about s_omewhere _where he could be by himself quietly and think about things.

Sakura turned the last corner, where she was briefly greeted by a few nurses that she'd worked with before. Luckily, they were in too much of a hurry to wonder why she wasn't still in her room_, _so she was free to quickly pull open a metal door and trundle up a few concrete steps to the rooftop.

And as expected, Naruto was seated cross-legged behind the railings.

Seeing the boy quietly eat a cup of ramen was almost too much for her to handle. She couldn't seem to force her legs to walk to him and leap in his arms, never letting him go ever again. Even from the steps - it was obvious that he was in pain and covered in bandages more than skin. A cute tuft of blonde hair poked atop the bandages on his head. He was wearing a black and white shirt and shorts, probably still wanting to try and not look so tragic, Sakura figured.

_Come on - he nearly died and now he's gonna see you in tears? _She scolded herself. But the images of him laying near lifeless in her arms, scarred her mind and she could barely see through a cloud of moisture. She couldn't deny that he looked absolutely gorgeous bathed in the morning sunlight and glowing like some kind of God. He had also looked the exact same on their wedding day. She remembered very well how he beamed at her whilst she walked down the isle to him.

_Come on, get a grip._

"N-Naruto?" She called hoarsely. She wasn't even sure that he heard her clearly over the wind. His body seemed to stiffen for a moment and his head slowly turned to her, face in awe.

"Sakura?" He mouthed. They started at each other for a split second and then suddenly she was tight in his arms and he was planting butterfly kisses all over her face, neck, shoulders. Somewhere along the way, she found his lips and pressed her quivering ones to his. Words could not describe how right, how normal it felt to be in his grasp again. No demons between them. Nothing at all.

"I've been so worried," he choked and pressed his forehead to hers, staring into her emerald orbs. "I would have _killed _myself if you died."

"Idiot," she shook her head and placed her hands on his pale cheeks. "I'm not worth ending your life for-.."

"You are," he repiled firmly. "Sakura.. I'm so in love with you. I'm so glad you're okay," another bone crushing hug, then he stepped back with a worried look. "I mean - you are okay aren't you?"

She nodded. "I-I'm okay."

A look of relief swept across his face. He gently took her hand and pulled her up with him to the side of the railings, where they sat together and watched the rest of the village - Sakura tucked safely inbetween his legs with his arm locked around her waist.

"You'll hurt yourself." She warned and tried to ease herself out. He firmly shook his head and held tighter.

"Not letting you go."

She inwardly sighed and nuzzled his bandaged chest, taking in his sweet rameny scent.

For a long time, they sat there together in the sunshine. Neither one of them daring to move for fear of spoiling that perfect moment. Sakura desperately wanted to ask him how it felt to not have the Kyuui harboured within him anymore. But she bit her tongue and decided that it wasn't the time to ruin their happiness with the past. She grinned down at her tummy and imagined what surprises parenthood would have for them next. She inwardly snorted at the thought of Naruto getting up for early morning feedings and changing nappies.

"I love you, Naruto," she sighed happily. "And so does Hanatarou."

Naruto frowned. "Hanatarou? Who's Ha-.." His eyes suddenly bulged. "A BOY!" He yelled. "I'M HAVING A SON?" As soon as he saw Sakura nod, he jumped onto the railings and pulled Sakura up with him, securing her to his side. The wind felt good. She closed her eyes against the blowing wind and enjoyed the warmth next to her. Naruto was still yelling at the skies about his son and proclaiming how he was going to be the best dad ever.

When he settled down, Sakura decided to begin explaining and filling in on what happened during the time he'd been near death. She shivered a little when it came to telling him about how she merged with Haekeri and they became one in order to overcome the Kyuubi - she opted not to tell him that his wife and child had been dead for a little while and then come back to life!

When it came to explaining about how Kyuubi and Haekeri worked together to overthrow Madara and drag him to hell, Naruto went very quiet and stared off into the distance, his knuckles white.

Sakura couldn't even imagine what he was thinking at that moment. To life with a demon and be shunned by an entire village _because _of it - and then only to realise that after years and years of torment, that the demon was actually _good. _She couldn't relate to what was going on in his mind.

The sky above had dropped the soft morning hues and now the sun was scorching in the middle of the sky.

The sunshine felt good in her skin.

"Come on, cherry blossom," Naruto said at last. Sakura caught sight of his grin. In seconds, he'd swept her up in his arms and was marching her back across the roof and down the steps. "I need to get you back, before the old lady starts moaning."

After their time on the rooftop, the day went pretty slow with Naruto and Sakura both being tested upon for the progress of their injuriesn and any lasting effects the demons may have left. If that wasn't bad enough - a haughty black-haired nurse insisted that they should be kept apart. Her excuse was 'In case any demon chakra residue breaks the machines and interferes with the tests'. So Sakura had to kill time and hang about the hospital for an extra _hour._

It wasn't all bad though. She used the time to re-introduce herself to the hundreds of medical textbooks and journals in the medical library.

"I'd rather be the carer instead of the patient." She muttered darkly, opening up _Medicinal Herbs _on the table before her and flicking through the pages.

She stared at the large clock hanging above the double door exit. It was nearly half six and Naruto hadn't been released from the medicinal labs yet. She slammed her book shut and began to stack the very large pile she'd collected, back onto the dark mahogany shelves. She was the last one left in the library - everyone else had already gone home for the evening before the night nurses shift's started. Sakura sighed and pushed open the double doors into the hallway.

"Ow," someone exclaimed. "Nearly whack me with the door why don't you."

Sakura was just about to reply back rudely, when she caught sight of blonde.

"Sorry Naru," she smiled. "I've been waiting for you for _hours_!"

He smirked and rubbed the side of his head. "Ahh yeah sorry about that.. Old lady Tsunade called me into her office and said she wanted to talk to me.. I was gonna run away and pretend I'd never heard her, but.." He paused.

"Is there something wrong with your tests?" She asked.

He shook his head. "No, nothing like that. Good news actually," he paused once again and took a deep breath that lasted for a few seconds. His face split into a wide grin. "She asked me to go into Hokage training under her!"

"What?" Sakura squealed and flung her arms around the boy's shoulders. "Naruto - that's great news! You're gonna be the next Hokage!" She rubbed her happy tears away and planted a few chaste kisses onto his lips. They joined hands and began to walk out of their hospital and back to the house that had been abandoned for a year.

"Why aren't you more happier though?" She questioned, smile fading slightly.

"I _am _happy, silly."

"Don't lie to me." She warned and tugged on his arm to stop him walking. The sun had just begun to set and a cold wind was now blowing. She could feel the goosebumps on his tanned skin already.

He sighed. It was blantant apparent that he did not want to get into this type of conversation.

"I-I can't help but feel that you should be Hokage instead of me - after everything you've done and all.. Saving the world," he looked away into the darkness so that she couldn't see his face anymore. "That's just how I feel. Why did Tsunade choose _me_?"

Sakura stood in silence and digested his words. A wave of guilt fell upon her shoulders and crushed her with its intense weight. She felt the taste of a little bile in her mouth. She felt so _bad._

"Idiot!" Was the first word out of her mouth. Even in the darkness, she could see the shock on Naruto's face. He didn't bother to make a comment or reply, so she tip-toed and grabbed both of his shoulders, shaking him as roughly as she could.

"You've had this dream for years!" She shrieked. "I know it, Tsunade knows it, Sasuke knows it - hell, the whole of _Konoha _knows that you wanna be the next Hokage! You really think I want to take that away from you?" She was aware that she was making quite a lot of noise for such a quiet side road, but she simply couldn't help it. Naruto was being so s_tupid. _

"You're the goddam son of the forth Hokage - his pride and joy to be proud of for being a fearless and caring leader! Now why the _fuck _would I want that to be taken away from the man I wanna spend the rest of my life with _and _the father of my child," she took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down a bit. She continued to talk in a quieter tone. "One day, don't you want little Hanatarou to boast to all his friends that his daddy is the strongest and bravest man in the country? Or that he wants to be exactly like him when he grows up?"

"I do." He said quietly. His eyes shone in the dark.

"Me too," she agreed and slipped her fingers into his. "Now, let's go_ home_."

"Home." He repeated and smiled tenderly.


	34. Deja Vu

**Gotta admit - this chapter was pretty damn difficult to write because of a hell of a lot of reasons really that I won't bore you with right now. But it was pretty annoying to try and concentrate with it holed up in the back of my mind, eating away my concentration.**

**Leave your comments and reviews here and I will read through them :D**

"... Blah ... " - Speech

_" ... Blah ... "_ - Thoughts, flashbacks and Bhadra.

**" ... Blah ..." - **Haekeri

* * *

**Betrayal 3: Destiny's Darkness**

**Chapter Thirty-Four: Deja Vu**

A few weeks had passed by fairly quickly since Sakura and Naruto had left the hospital. To say the least, everything had been insanely busy with Sakura having to clean the dusty house fully and buying food for themselves, Shu and Ashi to live on.

Naruto also was required to be Tsunade's 'shadow' everyday from dawn to dusk and listen to her lectures on how to be a good leader. If not for his dream hanging in the balance, he would have told her where to shove it, a _long _time ago. So Sakura found herself mostly alone most days in the hospital - overseeing the staff and taking care of the more dire medical cases. Most days she was holed up behind a mound of paperwork though. Fun.

The only events that made her days less boring, were when her friends dropped by to either hand her more paperwork or have a chat about current events and such. During these times, Sakura would always stay bright and cheery throughout the afternoon, and then head home later on and be with Naruto for the rest of the evening. Secretly, she missed being out on the road and getting to spend all that time with him, under the stars and talking about their future.

"I hope it isn't as busy as this." She mutterd aloud, pressing her key into the front door and pushing it open.

The house seemed to be pretty empty - except for Shu who looked as if he had been sleeping all day on the living room sofa. Sakura sighed, tossing her keys onto the coffee table and dumping her shopping bags down by the kitchen door. She allowed herself to flop backwards on a comfy armchair and let her eyes drift peacefully closed.

She must have fallen asleep, because the next thing she remembered was Naruto kissing her forehead.

"Hey sleepyhead." He greeted and kissed her again. She moved a little - her bones aching with stiffness and gave him a small smile.

"When did you get back?"

"Just now," he replied and picked up the forgotten shopping bags and took them through to the kitchen. "Tsunade was pretty killer today."

"Nothing different then." Sakura followed him and sank onto on of the breakfast bar stools, rifling through the mail from that morning.

Naruto finished putting away the groceries and slithered behind Sakura, sneaking his arms around her waist and staring at the bills over her shoulder. He frowned and Sakura looked up at him questioningly.

"Something up?"

"No," he replied. "Just wondering why our bills have gotten.. _Cheaper_."

Sakura stared at him incredulously. "You really _don't _listen to Tsunade do you?"

"What? Why?"

She sighed - very Tsunade-like. "When someone has been elected to take the Hokage training - obviously that man or woman cannot get a normal job and generate a proper income for the family.. So the village elders allow us a small benefit in order to replace that gap and help our family out a bit."

She liked that. _'Our family.'_

A flash of understanding crossed his face and he carried on with rifling through the rest of the mail. There were soft, hurried knocks at the front door so Sakura slid off from her stool and went to pull it open.

It was obvious it had been raining heavily outside all afternoon - because there was a soaking wet Ashi on the doorstep, shivering from head to toe. He wore a strange expression on his face that ranged from shock to excitement. It looked as if he couldn't care less that he was dripping everywhere.

"Idiot," she scolded. "Take a damn umbrella out with you." She pulled the foor open further and indicated that he should go inside. However, he shook his head firmly and stared her dead in the eyes.

"I have news." He said quietly.

"Who's that, Sakura?" Came the voice of Naruto floating from the hallway.

"Ashi," Sakura replied. "He has news for us." Naruto appeared beside her - trying not to laugh at the soaking wet boy. Not wanting to take a punch from his beloved wife, he opted to stare at the floor instead. When everything went silent again, Ashi licked his lips and flicked the wet hair away from his face.

"Uncle Sasuke is back." He said with a small smile, voice wobbling a little. He opened his mouth to say more, but whatever it was - Sakura didn't hear because her ears developed a strange whooshing sound as if she was travelling through a long tunnel. Her fingers fumbled for the edge of the door frame to hold herself up. Images of the raven-haired boy and his murderer brother flickered in her mind. Her heart felt heavy remembering that Sasuke would _only _return to the village once his brother was dead and gone.

_So in the end.. He had the strength to do it._

She felt slightly sick. Of course killing him would have been the just thing to do - if he had murdered the Haruno clan, Sakura would have been out hunting him at every chance she could. But when it actually came to killing him herself, could she have really done it? To her own brother?

Somewhere along the line, Naruto had grabbed the house keys from the small table and gently unshered Sakura out of the house, because suddenly all three of them were quickly making their way toward the almost-abandoned Uchiha compound.

As usual, Ashi led the way winding in and out of empty houses that would probably never be filled with families again. Sakura briefly thought of how lonely Sasuke felt at the moment. Even though he finally extracted his revenge - it couldn't bring his family back.

Sasuke's house loomed up into view - looking as dark and depressing as ever. The rain had subsided a little - so only the small droplets and pitter-patter from the roofs could be heard as none of them had anything to say. They stood silently at the front door for a few seconds, before Ashi was the one who decided to push it open and led them inside.

The place was devoid of light and happiness.

After the long year they'd been gone - the house had degraded a little more, with droplets of rain cascading the wall and floor - plus the ceiling was sagging dangerously in the corner of the entrance hall. The smell of rot and decay was almost unbearable that Sakura thought about opening the windows and then quickly discarded the thought - not that it would have done much anyway.

"He's through here." Ashi whispered and led the way to Sasuke's bedroom, knocking twice on the beaten door and entering. Once inside, he shut the door behind them and squinted into the darkness.

Sakura looked at the walls and briefly wondered what it would have been like if Sasuke had grown up a normal teenager - with posters and pictures of his favourite bands and friends around the room. Perhaps even a stereo in the corner, where he could have blasted out music and chilled out on the bed to. But nope, not this Sasuke, who grew up with pain and anxiety as his music.

There was a figure seated on the floor in the gloom, by an old table. Every second or so, the figure would lift what looked like a sake bottle to his mouth, and drown the liquid inside, then dangle it from his knees again.

Naruto knelt down next to Sasuke and pulled him upright and pushed him towards the bed.

"I think you've had enough to drink, dude." He said firmly, his jaw was taunt. Sasuke merely looked at him - hardly even registering he was there. Even in the darkness, it was clear that he was out of it.

"How long has he been like this?" Sakura turned to Ashi, who shrugged and said he wasn't too sure. Sakura sighed and rolled up her sleeves. She quickly did a basic medical check on the drunk Uchiha, who sat there obidiently. When she was done, she stepped back and folded her arms.

"You're malnourished Sasuke - drinking will only make that worse! Plus you've got several injuries that look as if they might have minor infections.. You need to get to the hospital, Sasuke-.."

"Heh," Sasuke muttered in a crackled voice. "Well doesn't this look familiar? It was just a year ago - that we were all here - talking about our lives.." He trailed off and closed his eyes in realisation. He dropped the sake bottle with a loud clank on the floor and let it roll away into the corner. "What am I doing?"

"Sasuke.. The hospital.." Sakura pleaded.

"Itachi's gone," Sasuke said bluntly. He looked as if he wanted to describe the battle - but he took one sidelook at Ashi and quickly changed his mind. Instead he said; "That's a weight off my mind."

Sakura couldn't work out whether he was trying to be funny or not - no one else in the room seemed to think it was a joke. She shot a pleading look at Naruto, who caught it and nodded his head. He stepped towards Sasuke, and carefully slid the man's arm over his shoulder and pulled him up. Sasuke roughly shoved the blonde away with suprising strength and managed to firmly stand on his own two feet.

"I'm okay." He said quietly before anyone could ask. Suddenly, he didn't seem quite so drunk anymore. His injuries made him wince a little, whenever he moved slightly. He half limped over to the sunken window and pulled open the ragged curtains, light spilled in and illuminated the room. Now that Sakura could see Sasuke clearly, she noted the way his eyes looked hollow and how skeleton-like his body had become. If was even possible, his skin had grown more pale and clung to his cheekbones for dear life. His eyes fell upon her staring at him and she quickly focused her attention on the deep gashes on his arms and legs.

"Time to move on now." He said quietly and cast a sideways glance at the rain outside.

"Are you okay, man?" Naruto asked quietly. Sasuke thought silently for a moment and slowly nodded his head.

"I will be," he promised. "I guess that I got a new chance to live now, huh?" He finished his sentance with a small but sad smile. Sakura chose to stay silent, not really knowing what to say - nor did Naruto or Ashi. She was just glad that Sasuke had looked as if he'd turned a corner and wouldn't sit around and drink all day. It would take him a long, long time, but she really hoped with all her heart that one day - he would put his past behind him and accept it.

"I'm glad you're back, Uncle." Ashi smirked and lightly punched Sasuke on the shoulder.

Sasuke managed to crack a grin. "Well then Ashi - do you want to move back into this old dump again?" He paused. "Since I'm back for good..." He glanced around the sodden room and turned to his old teammates. "Then again - I'm thinking of giving permission to Tsunade to knock down the entire compound - she may want to put something new on this ground," he shrugged. "I don't need these memories anymore." And he gestured to his room.

"Are you okay with that?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke looked at Ashi, who nodded. "I am.. Besides. It will give me the opportunity to search for a new apartment near you both - I uh.. Kind of missed you guys."

Naruto snorted at these words as if he couldn't believe they were actually coming out of Sasuke's mouth. Sakura couldn't quite believe it either - her jaw opened wide and she quickly snapped it shut again. Sasuke lightly blushed at his sentiment and carried on as if he'd never said anything.

"I forgot to say," he added. "Congratulations on the baby." He nodded towards Sakura's swelled stomach, concealed beneath her black cloak. She rubbed it gently.

"We're calling him Hanatarou. It's a miracle really, that he's managed to survive with me during the year we've had!" She silently replayed the amount of times both she and him had nearly died.

Sasuke nodded and curled himself up on the windowsill as best as he could. "So, are you ever going to tell me what _exactly _happened during the past year?"

"Soon," Sakura smiled and promised. "But right now - I just want to get used to being back home. No scary demon stuff."

_No more demons to worry about anymore. It's all over._

Sakura faded out of the rest of the conversation, as Naruto recalled the more 'epic' moments of their journey. She stared out into the rain and focused of the thousands of raindrops that were dying every second. The skies above were still overcasted - with the tiniest hint of blue. Somewhere along the way, she must have made an excuse to escape the sad little house. For now suddenly, she was stood outside - getting soaked to the skin.

She closed her eyes and recalled the night before. She'd had Shu alone in the bathroom whilst Naruto was downstairs making dinner. She had sat the ferret down on the bathtub and tried for ages to speak Bhadra to him - to no avail. The ferret acted as if he didn't even understand and made no attempt to talk back. The only way that Sakura knew that he was still the same Shu - was that he did a tiny little wink, and then scurried out of the bathroom to find a corner to curl up in and sleep.

_Bhadra was Haekeri's talent. I guess without him, I can't understand it anymore._

Again, she felt that wash of loneliness of losing the entity who had shared her body for the past five years or so. She imagined that Naruto must have felt a lot worse - but if he did, he hadn't said anything to her about it, nor even was depressed for more than a few seconds.

The rain was beginning to subside a little and the sky was growing a light shade of blue as the clouds slowly moved away. Sakura inwardly scolded herself to hurry up and let go of the past - it was vital that she moved on or she was afraid she never would. Silently, she closed her eyes and swore on the raindrops cascading down her face, that she would make everyone she lost proud. Her parents, Kimoko, Kakashi, Cairo, Fafnir and Haekeri.

"My new life now." She whispered. not only for herself, but also for Naruto and Sasuke too. They were all lucky enough to stay alive even though the odds of their fates were grim and almost nearly killed them multiple times.

"Sakura?" She turned to see the person who'd called out her name. Naruto was looking at her with a worried face. She smiled to show him that he was okay and joined him under the archway of the front door.

"So when is Sasuke dragging his ass to the hospital?"

"In a minute - I decided to leave him and Ashi alone to talk.. Anyway - what the hell are you doing out here in the rain?"

She shrugged. "Needed to be by myself for a little bit really. Just to think about things, nothing bad." She finished her words with a grin and slid her slender fingers into his own. "I have a favour I need to ask of you."

"What is it?"

She paused. "I need you to take Sasuke to the hospital while I... Go talk to Kakashi."

Of course - she meant their mentors gravestone. Which still sat silently in the graveyard - devoid of visitors and life. Naruto stared at her silently for a few seconds and then nodded slowly. He didn't ask as to why she wanted to go, instead he leaned forwards and kissed her forehead and nose, telling her that he'd see her later and then returning back into the estate. So Sakura scuttled off by herself in the now-sprinkled light rain and out of the sad Uchiha compound as fats as her legs could carry her.

Not many people were out on the streets and the ones that were, were huddled under umbrellas and rushing off to their destinations. Everyone else was probably tucked up warm inside their houses, eating dinner. The thought filled Sakura's mouth with saliva as she imagined going home and ordering take out ramen or something with Naruto. She also made a mental note to take some to Sasuke at the hospital. He had always despised hospital food right down to his Genin days.

She turned a sharp corner and half-walked half-ran up the small hill towards the Yuki Cemetery. She was having trouble even trying to _remember _the last time she visited Kakashi - of course she didn't count the few minutes in which she'd died and saw him in the dimension between both worlds. She thought of that as more of a dream.

She slipped through those oh-so-familiar black iron gates and past the gravestones that littered the sporadic grass in neat lines. She mentally counted the rows until she got to 'Thirty-Eight' and found his gravestone effortlessly after that.

She allowed herself to sink onto her knees respectfully and gave a short bow. When she raised again, she scanned over the few words encraved to the grey stone.

_'It roots the earth. It dregs the sea. It flows like water and whatever will be, shall be.'_

"Hey Kakashi," she greeted and waved a little awkwardly. "I don't know if you've heard - you probably have - but I did it! I didn't die!" She paused, not really knowing how to form her next sentence. The stone loomed over her silently like a huge eagle with his wings spread. Truth be told, Sakura felt kind of intimidated knelt in front of Kakashi - who was surrounded by his old friends and comrades. Everytime she visited him, she couldn't help the feeling that she didn't belong.

_Well duhh.. Maybe it's because I'm the only one alive here._

"I was scared," she whispered. "If not for all of those years of you and Tsunade training me to become stronger.. I'd still be that weak little girl, crying over Sasuke not paying attention to me and wailing when I'm in danger," she paused and swallowed. "Is it safe to say now that I'm strong?" She chuckled a little as her eyes began to fill with moisture.

"You've been like a father to me, Naruto and Sasuke - our only surrogate parent that cared for us and protected us when we were in danger," she bowed a little. "And for that Kakashi.. Thanks.." She resumed into her sitting position again and absent-mindedly began to tear up the weeds and nettles climbing up the gravestone. When everything seemed tidy again, Sakura gazed all around her at the mesh of flowers surrounding the rows of the graves and intertwing between them. The wild flowers certainly brightened up the depressing graveyard and gave it a sense of new _life_. She liked that feeling a lot.

"Hey Kakashi - I wonder what you're doing right now.." She trailed off and imagined him laying on a heavenly beach somewhere with his prized 'Icha Icha' books.

Soon enough, the rain subsided completely and Sakura rose to her feet and dusted off the mud from her naked knees. She fastened her black coat tighter around herself and brought her gaze to the gravestone once again.

"I'll bring baby Hanatarou here when he arrives," she patted her stomach. "And Naruto and Sasuke too - you'd like that right? Team seven together again," she found herself grinning. "Sasuke has a chance at a new life now - he defeated Itachi! Isn't that great?" Her words were met with uninteruppted silence. She pushed the wet hair from her face and grinned.

"Seeya around.. Kakashi. And.. Thanks for everything."


	35. Final Sun

_"Do you believe in destiny?"_

_"... Yeah."_

* * *

"Cherry blossoms sure are pretty."

A thirteen-year old boy gently scooped up a handful of the precious pink petals from the back of his garden. He glanced upwards at the pink tree which was waving silently above in the wind. Sunlight filtered through the skinny branches and left dabbled spots of light on his face. It was an extremely warm day, and he was seeking refuge in the shadows of the trees and bushes in his garden.

A noise from the back of his house, caused the boy to look up from his cupped hands, blonde locks whipping softly around his face. He saw a pink-haired woman emerging from the kitchen door. She squinted in the sunlight for a few moments and held up her hand to block out most of its rays. Seeing the blonde boy huddled up at the back of the garden, she smiled.

"Hanatarou!" She waved. "So this is where you've been, huh?"

The boy grinned as she made her way over to him and he gestured up at the Sakura tree. "Just looking at it."

"It's lovely isn't it? You dad planted it for me years ago." She fondly stroked the branches as if they were remembering her very touch. Hanatarou's deep emerald eyes moved from her face back to the tree again. A few moments later, Sakura turned to him.

"Uncle Ashi just called - he's offered to train you for your Genin exam if you'd like. What about it, sound good?"

Hanatarou's face lit up with excitement. "Really?"

"Yeah!"

"Wow," he grinned and grabbed her arm enthusiastically. "After I pass my Genin, Chuunin _and _Jounin exams- I'm gonna train to be the next Hokage!" He gave a thumbs up. Sakura inwardly rolled her eyes - she'd lost count at how many times she heard _that _throughout her life.

There was a clicking sound of the kitchen door opening once again and a blonde bushy head with azure eyes, peered outside from it.

"You better watch out dad, I'm gonna be the next Hokage!" Hanatarou proclaimed and pumped his fists violently in the air. Naruto merely chuckled and ventured outside with a beautiful baby girl in his arms. He gently kissed Sakura and ruffled the boy's hair.

"I'll let you be Hokage right now," he said. "If you fight me, and _win_."

"Idiot," Sakura lightly whacked him on the arm. "Stop teasing him!"

Naruto apologised with a grin and let Hanatarou carefully take baby Mika indoors. When they were gone, Naruto snaked his hands around Sakura's waist and placed chaste butterfly kisses on her face and neck. They shared a long kiss and she pulled away and wrapped her arms lovingly around his shoulders.

"How was work?" She whispered.

He shrugged. "Village elders and Tsunade were hovering over my desk all day, making suggestions - got kind of annoying after a while."

Sakura made a sympathetic face. "Aww that sucks."

"Doesn't matter. I get to come home to my gorgeous wife and two great kids. Don't feel too sorry for me!" He fondly patted her head. "How's the hospital?"

She smiled. "Training a whole load of new interns and taking care of some overdue paperwork - nothing too difficult. Plus some of the new guys have really great potential."

Naruto's eyebrows rose suddenly. "OH! I forgot to say.. Sasuke called and invited us over to dinner tonight with Ashi and Kaga."

Kagamine was Sasuke's long term girlfriend. He'd explained to Sakura and Naruto before in great detail, about how they had met, when he accidentally bumped into her whilst she was carrying an armful of groceries in the middle of town, and he had bent down to help her clean up. From then on, they had kept in touch and became inseperable. For the most part, Kagamine knew most of Sasuke's violent past and his journey to take down Itachi. If he'd decided to confide anything else to her, Sakura didn't know. Kaga was a lovely woman with long brown hair, grey eyes and a sweet personality. Exactly the sort of woman that Sasuke deserved to be with.

Sakura came out of her thoughts and nodded. "That sounds great. If Deidara's not still working, then we should get him to come along. It's been a while since he's had a night out. He needs a break."

"Already sorted," Naruto smiled. "Sasuke went to the office and invited him personally earlier. Anyway - I'm going to go and get ready honey." Naruto kissed her once more and scuttled off back inside.

Sakura turned and pushed her hand along the trunk of the cherry blossom tree once more and recalled the old memories of Team Seven and her year long journey. It was hard to believe that they had come so far - after all those years of hardshipand turmoil.. Her life was absolutely _perfect._ Everything she had and could ever want, was nearby.

Naruto, Hanatarou, Mika, Shu, Sasuke, Ashi, Deidara. Her loved ones, her family. Her friends looking down on her from the heavens above. Everyone was happy. Everyone was okay now.

And it all had started, with her Betrayal...

_**The End.**_

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**A MASSIVE HUMONGOUS GINORMOUS thank you to absolutely everyone who has reviewed, story alerted, favourited and stuck by me for these past 4 years that I have been writing the Betayal series. All I have to say right now is... Wow. It's been a long, full and confusing fucking journey and I've had my ups and downs throughout writing. To be honest, I am absolutely gobsmacked that I won't wake up tomorrow or a month from now and say; "Oh, I need to update Betrayal!" I just can't believe that it's all over!**

**I'll really miss writing this and hearing all the feedback from every one! Now excuse me whilst I go find a tissue or something..**

**For the last time in this series; Thank you very much for reading and I hope you enjoyed reading the series as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

**God bless.**

_**xFadingMoonx**_


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